


AOBI s.1: Shock Therapy

by KiiroiDaruma



Series: AOBI Omegaverse Stories [1]
Category: Original Work, omegaverse - Fandom
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Multi, Omega Verse, Omegaverse, Other, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 17:53:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 28,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9249185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiiroiDaruma/pseuds/KiiroiDaruma
Summary: AOBI School is a prestigious escalator school that either costs a fortune to attend or is completely free. The Institute researches ways to make life better for all Omegaverse genders. As educating the future leaders is one of the most effective ways to reach the goal, all students are required to take courses in sociology, psychology and biology. This story starts with people involved in the AOBI Special Class A.





	1. Wake-up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greetings!  
> Thank you for reading my story. I hope you find it entertaining. Thank you very much to those who have given kudos and/or left a message. 
> 
> This is 'Season 1' of AOBI. The second season has also started and is called 'Undercover Work'. If you have read the 4th chapter of this story, the other should not contain major spoilers. I hope some people will like that story too.

Bruises. Welts. Scratches. Even broken bones. They all looked like they had been attacked by multiple people with weapons. The whole class of thirty young men watched in silence as the film kept rolling. 'This is what monsters like us do. Unintentionally.' Ken thought as he glanced around when the lights came back on to witness pretty much same expressions on disgust and shame on the faces around him.

'This is not how it should be.' The teacher's voice was grim. 'If you liked what you saw, please, leave the room now.' Everyone froze and stared at the teacher in shock. 'Good. It seems we have a promising class this time. Now, lets get to know each other a bit. Starting from the top left, state your name and why you came to this school.'

The stories were either that they were sent here by their, probably quite wealthy families, or they had been given a scholarship. 'Athletes, geniuses or heirs to great houses and me. I don't belong here. I am good, but they are amazing.' Ken tried to organize his thoughts in preparation for his introduction.

Ken stood up stretching his body. At 183 cm he was taller than most of the other students and looked refined in the tailored suit that doubled as a school uniform. 'I am called Ken.' He hurried to continue hoping no-one would pay too much attention to the lack of a family name. 'Two weeks ago a man came to my home and spoke with my father. They called me in and told me I was to come here on a special scholarship. Since I am not super talented in anything, I suspect it has something to do with the fact that my lover bit my neck a few days earlier.' Ken slumped back on his seat, his face flustered. He felt they were all staring at him and whispering in dismay.

'Now, now. Calm down all, please.' The teacher cleared his throat a hidden laughter spiced his voice. 'Ken-kun, you should not underestimate yourself like that. You are clearly quite intelligent to have reduced that. You'll do fine in this school. And the rest of you buzzing little bees, you are mistaken. Ken here just as much an Alpha as any of you. He just happens to be one extremely lucky guy to have found his mate already. And yes, under very special circumstances, Omegas do bite too.'

Grateful for the dim lighting that hid his flustered cheeks, Ken sat in silence. Inside his mind the storm continued. His whole life was changing rapidly. In truth about the only thing he had left from before was his first name. Well, his Papa would still always be his Papa and his siblings just as important to him as ever. But his home was not his home anymore. If he ever went back to that town, he'd be staying in that big, fancy house on the hill. His eyes felt tired, but the tears had dried up days ago. Behind his closed lids an image of a smile expanded and the face of Satoru animated in his imagination. 'It is worth it all. He is worth it all. I will adjust. It will be easier after tomorrow when it is official.'

'You have now shared how you came here. I am here to talk about why you came here.' The teachers voice grew solemn again. 'You are all people who are likely to one day have an Omega of your own. You are here to learn how to make both of you happy. Both in and out of bed.'

The class fidgeted. The Institute had one required course no other school did. It was the AOBI Special Course. It could not be taken anywhere else and it was not possible to study here without taking it. The special course was, it seemed, Sex Ed. 

'We'll finish here today. For tomorrow write a paper on your thoughts on Omegas. Include any you personally know, but don't use their real names. Any questions or even any prejudices are welcome at this stage. We may read some of the things you wrote out loud, but we will not reveal your names, if we do. Ken-kun, stay a minute. Sasaki, wait for him outside, please. The rest of you are dismissed.'

'I am sorry to single you out like this, Ken-kun. But I thought it would be worse if I did it it in front of the class. About tomorrow's assignment, you are not allowed to write about Satoru. For this to work you need to think about things more broadly. Understand?'

'Yes, Kanai-sensei, I understand. I will write about others.' It would be difficult, but having anyone read what he would write about Satoru would be embarrassing. 'Was there anything else, Sensei?'

'Just...Are you alright with tomorrow and everything? Your introduction...' Sensei's voice was quiet, concerned. He really does understand, since he had to do the same thing, Ken thought. 'Yes, Sensei. It just that I don't feel right to use one yet and to use the other would be weird too.'

Kanai Sensei nodded. 'I'll see you tomorrow then.' He stayed to watch the young man's departing back for a while. 'It was hard for even me to give up on my name. How much more does it take for a proud, young Alpha like Ken to do it? Whatever the snobs may say, I think our house is blessed to have him.'


	2. New Friends

Sasaki Ichiro leaned against the pillar. He was not at all sure what to make of his new roommate. 'Strange guy, but for the most part in a good way. Tolerable, probably. So confident in himself he doesn't even worry about revealing weaknesses. At least he will not be harassing me sexually like the previous guy tried. It made studying hard. This year will be challenging and now I have to take this course too. Why is there no way to avoid it? Such a waste of time and so embarrassing.'

The classroom door opened and a tall, well-built youth came out. He let his shoulders slump slightly and sighed. Ichiro pushed himself upright and waited for the youth to come a little closer. 'Hello, I am am Sasaki Ichiro, your roommate as you probably know. Nice to meet you.'

'Sasaki-san, nice to meet you. I'll be in your care.' There was no name in the introduction, which felt a bit odd, but the tired smile on his face was genuine. They started to walk towards the doors, passing small groups of students from other classes. There were a few nods of recognition, but no-one stopped them or actually spoke to them. 

Once outside the silence started to feel heavy. It was not easy to think of something to say, when meeting a stranger for the first time. Especially a stranger you must share living quarters with for a year. 'Umh..So, how does the school...Is it very different from the last one? Somehow Ichiro managed to form a question that avoided using names or personal pronouns.

'It is. My old school is just a normal high school in a small rural town. Nothing fancy like this all.' He gestured to the, undeniably, beautiful garden the were walking through. 'Not a bad school. The rating is pretty high, but still just a regular school for locals.' There was a wistful look in the young man's black eyes. 'It is good place. But so is this. It will be worth everything.'

Ichiro scratched his ear. He still was not sure what to make of this quiet, strong fellow. Most of their peers were much more rowdy and loud. He himself apparently often came out cold and rude not really caring much what other people thought of him. He did care though, perhaps more than most. He just never let anyone know. When you must interact with someone daily, it is better to be in somewhat amicable terms, so he needed to make an effort. 'Well. I have a slight problem here. How should I address you?'

Ken chuckled. He was starting to like this aloof roommate of his who apparently frightened most other students. 'Oh, I am sorry, Sasaki-san. I didn't realize that was bothering you. I think that since we are roommates you can just call me Ken. I hope that is acceptable?' Behind the smile there was something like a sadness that even Ichiro noticed. 

'Of course, Ken-san. That is fine. I'm Ichiro.' It felt oddly good to be in first name bases with someone other than family again. Last time had been in elementary school, probably. How nice it would be to have a friend once more, even for a little while.

'Ichiro-san. It is good to have someone like you to talk to, since you know this place already. I do hope we can be friends, I am rather lonely here most of the time.'

Lonely was not a word he'd associated to Ken-san, who seemed to be collected and friendly. There was an aura about him that surely drew people to him wherever he went. But then he had been here less than a day, so for now that was probably true. 'I doubt that will last very long. I bet it is easy for you to make friends.' 

'It used to be.' Ken sighed quietly. 'It will be different now. Before, my friends were my friends because they liked me. From now on, I will not know if they like me or just that other stuff. I already lost some...' The young man stopped. 'I might as well explain something, since it will come out tomorrow anyway. You probably noticed I did not use a full name at the class nor did I give it to you.' Ichiro nodded. 'At midnight tonight, my name changes legally. It will be...Kanai.'

'I see.' True, it is a name that could influence certain people. Especially here. 'Well, I don't really have friends, so...' Ichiro smiled somewhat apologetically.

'Well, you got one now. This is a bit odd, but I guess I want to ask you a favor. Tomorrow evening there is this party, or rather, a reception I must attend. I would rather not go alone. Could you take off a few hours?' 

Ichiro's face blanched. Parties, or receptions, were really not his thing. But when you have only one friend and he asks for a favor it is hard to say no. 'Uh... I suppose I can do that. I need practice in that kind of thing anyway. Having the brains is not enough, I need to 'sell' them too.'

Ken beamed. 'Excellent. Hold on, I'll let them know.' He dug out his mobile phone. 'This is Ken. Yes, I am just letting you know I am bringing my roommate Sasaki Ichiro to the reception tomorrow. Please, take that into account. Thank you.'

The call ended abruptly and Ichiro suddenly started to laugh. Ken peered at his roommate quizzically. 'I am sorry, but...Did you not earlier express some worries about not being able to fit in with these elite people? Because right now, you sounded like some kind of a prince talking to a servant.'

'Really?' Ken started to laugh too. 'I wonder if I should apologize. That was not a servant. That was my betrothed's father.' Laughter faded away and a tender look softened his handsome face.

'Your betrothed, you really care for him, don't you?' Ichiro felt a little twinge of envy. If only someone looked at me like that, he thought surprising himself. 

'Satoru? Yes, I do. When he disappeared the Sun disappeared with him. For eight months I lived in something like a fog. And when he came back...' A radiant smile lit up Ken's whole face. 'Well, I could talk of that the whole night, but we have an assignment to do. And I need to think of other Omegas for a while.'

'Yes. Lets go in. That assignment will be a pain indeed.' Ichiro's brow furrowed. 'But it must be done. Thankfully it is not graded.' He looked completely crestfallen, which made his new friend worry.

'Why do you think it is so hard? It doesn't even be very long. Just write what you think of them. And maybe how they differ from what the media says.' 

'The problem is that I don't know any at all. And I am not good at writing fiction.' Ichiro felt stressed out. Having to do an assignment when he knew it would be substandard was eating him up.

'Hmm. Really... Well, actually, here is a thought for you. I actually know you do know a few Omegas. Maybe not very well, but you do know them. You just have not noticed what they are. Research your own preconceptions and compare them to the general opinions. That should do a fine research paper.' 

When Ken returned humming happily after making his midnight phone call and prepared to go to bed, Ichiro was still at his desk typing. 'That guy takes some things too seriously. I wanted to stay awake past midnight and barely made it, but he is still going. Good thing I am gifted in sleeping.' The sound of clicking keys worked like a lullaby assuring the young man whose life had officially changed at midnight that there were still things that would be the same. 'One can make a friend in just a few hours. How amazing...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies. These two alphas are not romantically compatible. :)


	3. Limousines Are Fancy

The sun was starting to set when the two Special Class A3 students Kanai Ken and Sasaki Ichiro climbed in the backseat of a limo. Neither of them was accustomed to that level of luxury and they glanced each other abashedly. 

'I suppose this is a good warning of what to expect of this evening. But there is no helping it. And we should get to used to such things, shouldn't we?' Ken's nose wrinkled as he grinned at his roommate.

Ichiro leaned back, but could not quite relax. 'I guess. These things come with the kinds of goals we have. But I am not there yet. This feels surreal.'

Ken nodded in agreement. 'That's how my whole life has been of late. Sometimes I still think I am dreaming and will wake up any moment. It is not that I don't enjoy some of this pampering, but sometimes it just goes overboard.' To distract his visibly nervous friend Ken asked grinning teasingly, 'So, how did Ichiro-san like the film in today's class?'

Ichiro groaned, his face turning bright red. 'Did you really have to remind me?' The erotic images from the film replayed in his mind. It had affected him physically, which was the purpose of such films. The whole class had probably been half aroused. No, not probably. Certainly. The scents in the air and the fluster on their faces when the lights came back on were unmistakable. Ken had probably been calmer than most. When Sensei had asked for their first reactions after the film, Ken had stated something about 'interesting techniques' and made everyone laugh appreciatively while his own words had apparently perplexed them. Kanai-sensei had given him a long speculative look, but said nothing and asked the next student for his opinion. 

It became clear to Ichiro very fast that most others had barely noticed the alpha actor and concentrated one the writhing and moaning omega. He himself could not even remember what that guy had looked like all he could bring back was blond hair. He had been watching the alpha actor or rather his back. The snake tattoo had moved in interesting ways when the muscles strained and released. Ridiculously Ichiro had wanted to sneak up on the pair and drag him away from that other guy. 

At the culmination of the love scene there had been a rare shot of the alpha's face. The way he had looked there had hit Ichiro harder than anything else. The green eyes had glittered not just with lust, but something deeper, something he could only call love. He wanted that. He wanted someone to look at him like that and he wanted to look at someone back like that. That is why he had commented on the 'amazing green eyes' when Sensei asked. Having such a love did not seem very likely. The chance was statistically infinitesimal. 'Well, I'll just have to learn to make do with sex.'

'What?' Ken burst into a surprised laughter and Ichiro realized he had spoken the last thought out loud. 'Do not sell yourself short, my friend. There are dozens who would love you. Just give them a chance. Don't bury yourself in the lab quite yet.' Ken had been fascinated by the way his friend's face had changed over the few seconds he'd been thinking. The outcome surprised him and made him a little sad. Ichiro was too good a guy and far too young to give up on love. But considering how he had felt when Satoru disappeared without a word it was easy to understand how people could get discouraged. Satoru. Ken would see his beloved in just a few minutes and after the ceremony they'd spend the rest of the weekend together. A soft smile spread of his lips as he closed his eyes and drew a deep breath thinking of his betrothed.

'Ken-san.' Ichiro's voice brought Ken back to the reality. 'Do you think I should be looking for an alpha mate?' There was an uncharacteristic hesitation in his friend's voice. That Alphas could pair with Omegas, Betas and other Alphas was a fact. But that did not mean everyone was suitable for every type. Ken thought about the question only a couple of seconds, he'd only known his friend a very short time, but there was no doubt in his mind. 'No. Absolutely not. You would tear him or her apart emotionally. You're just too dominant. I'm sorry, but I think it would be a disaster.'

Ichiro nodded silently. He agreed that Ken was right. He was too much his mother's son. Son of the Alpha Bitch. 'Yeah. You're right. I am just in a really strange mood today. And this reception is making my hackles rise too. I do want to go though for you. And because it is good for me to challenge myself.' He'd need to keep a very tight control of himself not to challenge anyone else though. 'It is just that I feel they will all wonder why I am even there.'

'As for that, I have been thinking of a way to pose you an important question.' Ken grinned mischievously while rummaging in his jacket pocket. 'Ichiro-san, will you do me the honor of becoming my Best Man?' He held out a small velvet ring box. 'I am a bit nervous about this wedding thing and could use your support.'

'Wedding? Wait, Ken-san is getting married tonight?' This was awkward. 'I don't have a wedding present prepared. Can we stop at an ATM? And yes, of course, I'll do it.' At least he was dressed correctly for the occasion. AOBI school formal uniform was a stylish evening suit. Only few privileged people would even know it was a uniform. 'Congratulations!'

'Thank you. Well, actually the marriage became legal at midnight. This is more of an after party. But we will exchange rings and I'll mark Satoru's neck... ' Ken's voice faded away. He was clearly imagining his teeth sinking in the nape of his chosen one. 'Uh. And don't worry about the gifts. They have all been delivered to Kanai House. They will not be on display tonight. If you really want you can give us something young men our age actually enjoy instead of all that museum stuff. But honestly, just your presence is a gift. My blood relatives will not attend, you see.'

Ichiro nodded. To Ken's birth family this was not a joyous occasion as it marked losing a family member. It was not like anyone had died, it more resembled a divorce. Ichiro knew he was a 'difficult person'. He had a very hard time socializing with others. Most of his peers were too intimidated and the elder alphas made him want to fight back even when they were being nice. Having met this guy he could act like just a human being was a miracle. For a friend he would stretch his limits. 'I'll stand by your side for this. You can count on me.' 

The limo stopped at the main entrance of one of the finest luxury hotels in the city. Swiftly a young man in uniform moved to open the door for the passengers. Ichiro waited for Ken to get out first even if it crated against his instincts. It was the proper thing to do though and he did have manners ingrained in him. Together they walked to the doors where where a dignified looking gentleman bowed and directed them to an elevator. 'We're honored to have you as our guests. On behalf of myself and all of our staff, may I offer congratulations? This elevator will take you directly to the family suite.' 

Ken responded with a slight bow and a smile. 'It is a pleasure to be here. On behalf of both me and my betrothed, I thank you for the trouble you have taken for us.' Ichiro simply lowered his head slightly. There was no need for him to speak. They looked around the lobby lazily, pretending not to be dazzled by the splendor while they waited for the elevator to come down. 

Ichiro drew a deep breath. Even the air here smelled nice though he could not identify the scent. He caught himself staring at the back of the neck of some young man waiting for the other elevator and imagined kissing it and biting it. He felt blood rushing to his face and his heart beat faster. Quickly he closed his eyes and turned around and told himself to get a grip. He was in such a weird mood today. 

Had he been Omega, he'd have bet he was going in heat, but Alphas did not work that way. It had to be the after effects of the film and all this 'rabu rabu' stuff going on. Ah shit, he would rather die than admit it to others, but he had to be honest to himself. Under all the ice and control, he was a romantic. That is why he'd loved the 'Isamu and the Chameleon' books so much when growing up. The playful relationship with hidden innuendo had tickled his imagination. He'd even read some embarrassingly explicit fan fiction that took those two's relationship to a level books meant for young adults never could. His thoughts were, perhaps luckily, interrupted by the elevator arriving.

In the elevator, Ken started to sniff the air to Ichiro's amazement. He did not notice anything worth smelling there. He tried to discreetly sniff his own armpit, but the deodorant was working just fine. 

'Do I stink or something?' Ichiro asked staring at his friend quizzically.

'You don't smell anything? Anything really sweet and salty?' Ken stopped sniffing for a moment peering at Ichiro, who shook his head. 'Ah. Fascinating. So it is true then. Satoru has been in this elevator very recently.'

'Really? I mean, you can really smell his scent here right now? Because I don't smell anything unusual.' Ken nodded and continued to sniff and did nothing to hide that he was eager for the elevator to reach the top floor. 'I see. Empirical evidence that the Alpha can detect the scent of his, or her, Omega when others cannot. Fascinating indeed.' Ichiro grinned and Ken punched him in the upper arm just as the elevator door opened.


	4. Before the Wedding

Kanai Satoru fidgeted on his seat. He'd been unusually restless the whole afternoon. 'Bridal jitters' his father had called it teasingly, which had earned a scowl from Souta-papa, his stepfather. Kanai Souta did not take kindly effeminate terms when talking to or of male Omegas and his mate fully knew it. Satoru suspected that the joke had been more at the older Omega than him. The two had been bonded about two years now and life had settled comfortably in their small household. Today there would be another member joining. He knew Ken was already on the way in just few minutes he'd walk in though the elevator door. His mind drifted to the past.

That day, almost three weeks ago now, had changed everything or maybe it had set things that had gone wrong back to the original path. Satoru had returned to the little town he had grown up in until little after his 18th birthday. He'd walked into the little forest entered the tree house he'd spent so many hours over the years with his best friend, first crush and first lover, Satou Ken. Very little, if anything, had changed. It looked just like the day he'd left it the last time. He himself had changed in a rather fundamental way since then. The curious schoolboy had bloomed into a young man and Omega. He felt nostalgic and wanting to somehow return to the past, he'd removed his protective collar. 

He should have been alone there as it wasn't quite noon yet and schools weren't usually out until late in the afternoon, so he sat there quietly planning what he would say to Ken when they'd meet. He'd worried whether Ken could forgive him for disappearing without a word and how the young Alpha would react to his status. He was practicing his apology his eyes closed, when he got interrupted. 'Enough. I forgive you.' Ken's head had peeked through the opening in the floor when Satoru had opened his eyes. 'As long as you don't do it again. I've missed you.'

Ken had grown even taller and bulked up somewhat as well. He'd become almost sinfully attractive. Satoru had found himself held and nuzzled before he could speak. His nervousness dissipated. They'd gone at each other almost frantically as if to make up the lost time. Familiar feelings from days gone past, only more intense. Satoru couldn't explain even to himself what took him over when he suddenly clamped his teeth on Ken's nape, an odd action from an Omega. Ken had retaliated grunting gruffly and Satoru's whole body had shivered. He'd managed to extract himself somehow. 'I am so sorry. I must go now.' He'd taken his collar from his jacket pocket and handed it to Ken. 'I will contact you. Promise.' He'd fled taking with him the image of a stupefied young man holding an omega collar in his hand. He'd managed to get inside the gates before Ken caught up and the staff came to take him in. 'I'll explain in a few days. Please, forgive me....and don't hate me for being what I am.'

The elevator bell rang. Satoru sprung on his feet and rushed to embrace his new husband. It was the first time they had seen after the contract had become legal though they had been talking on the phone at midnight counting seconds like on New Year's Eve. The older men also approached the elevator making sure that the people entering were friends.

Ken held Satoru tight for a few more seconds and stroked his head. 'Missed you,' he whispered softly before releasing him to pay attention to formalities. He presented Ichiro to the whole party which was easier than trying to figure out the exact order the introductions should be conducted by etiquette. 

'Fathers, good day.' Ken bowed to the two older men. 'This is Sasaki Ichirou, my Best Man.' He turned to address his friend. 'Ichirou-san, my fathers-in-law, Kanai Wataru-san and Kanai Souta-san.'

Ichiro bowed politely. 'Nice to meet you, Kanai-san. Good day, Kanai-sensei.' It had taken a second look to confirm that this man in the elegant evening suit with slicked back hair was, indeed, the normally bespectacled, nerdy teacher. Ichiro's eyes stopped briefly at the other man's neck and his brow furrowed slightly. A collar. He turned his attention to the other man immediately upon realizing what he had seen and heard.

Kanai Wataru was standing next to his mate with a slight, amused smile on his lips. He was not exactly handsome, but he emanated power in various ways. He had physical strength, he had the refinement only the elite came by naturally and he was obviously used to being obeyed. Ichiro could feel his hackles rising, but since he was not insane, he offered a gesture of obeisance.

'Very nice to meet you, Sasaki-san.' the older Alpha's voice was deep and rich and sounded somehow almost familiar. 'I have heard a lot of good things of you. Welcome!' The younger Alpha's reaction to his mate had been too amusing. 'And since our Ken here seems to have forgotten something, allow me to present my son Satoru.'

'Hello! So nice that you could come.' The voice was a baritone version of his father's. This was the first time Ichiro could actually see the young man's face and he nearly gasped. It explained why Kanai-san's voice had been familiar. He knew this youth. They'd been lab partners last semester and he'd never had a better one. It had been such a relief to work with someone who actually understood Chemistry at a higher level and who had not been fighting him every step of the way. The reason for the latter was now obvious. 

'Good day, Ikeda-san. Long time no see.' He was still trying to wrap his mind around all of this. 'And, umh, congratulations!'

'It is actually Kanai. I just use my mother's name at school.' The young Omega offered a gentle smile. 'But call me Satoru, please.'  
'Satoru-san. I am Ichiro.' He was unaccustomed to people calling him by his first name, but it also made him happy. He felt he was being included and it was a nice feeling.

Ken was chuckling. 'See, I told you you know some Omegas.' He put his hands on his mate's shoulders. 'Satoru told me about your lab work when he heard you were to be my roommate. He said you're a really good guy. And I agree, of course.' 

'Sasaki.'

'Yes, Kanai-sensei?' Ichiro turned to look at the other big surprise in the suite unsure what to expect or even think. The most popular teacher and a rather famous researcher, was actually an Omega?

'I probably don't even need to ask.' He tapped his telltale collar. 'But, please, keep this quiet for now. I'd hate to spoil the surprise. I really want to see their faces when they realize.' There was a glint of rather wicked humor in the teacher's eyes. It was catching.

Ichiro found himself smiling a bit evilly. 'I see. Yes, I think I want to see that too. Maybe they'll look even more silly than I did.'

Wataru burst in laughter. 'No, truly. You did a splendid job covering it up, Sasaki. Your control is as good as one would expect of you. If I had not known to watch you at the exact moment, I would have missed it.' His smile was warm and approving. 'Should you ever decide that you'd like to work at Kanai Industries, just come talk to me.' At that he nodded, wrapped his arm around his mate and led him back towards the huge window overlooking the city.

The three young men made their way to the seating area. Ken and Satoru sat on the couch next to each other. They held hands, but didn't lean on each other to avoid wrinkling their suits. Ichiro sat on an armchair near Ken. 

Satoru took over the duties of a host. He leaned a little forward and addressed their guest. 'So, Ichiro-san, do you like video games?'


	5. Paparazzi

A group of five men in elegant suits stood at the ballroom door. They were the kind of people who'd attract attention anywhere, but right now there wasn't one pair of eyes looking anywhere else. Not surprising, since they were the main event all had been waiting for all evening. 

The newlyweds were here to share their happiness with the city's elite and via Kimura and his colleagues the general public as well. He was still new at his job and wasn't among those who were granted interviews, so his assignment was to describe the party and the guests. Not exactly a dream job, but at least the food was good. 

The ceremony was brief and simple. The two young men exchanged rings, they kissed and the Alpha nibbled the Omega's nape. It was a gentle, loving gesture that brought applause from most of the guests. Kimura made note to himself to mention that. The readers would love sappy stuff after all.

Once the official part was over guests started to mingle again. The newlyweds were escorted by the elder generation to a side room for their interviews, but the Best Man remained in the ballroom. Sasaki his name was, Kimura remembered. Apparently he was already accomplished, an award winner. Good. That made getting his name right easy. The young man radiated cool confidence even when several of the business leaders circled him starting to ask questions.

His facade cracked only once. The young man was not delighted to be addressed as Amano Kamiko's son. Interesting. So, the late political activist had left offspring and one not using her last name. That might make an interesting article as well. Now that he thought of it, there had been some scandal about her marriage. But that had happened when Kimura had been just a small boy. He'd have to look it up later.

He was startled by the commotion at the group he'd been thinking about. Apparently there was an accident with the champagne tray or something. A waited was apologizing profusely before escorting the young Sasaki towards the kitchen presumably to dry him. The rest of the men were resentful, but soon started to talk about business. Kimura listened for a while, but it wasn't very interesting. He decided to return to the press room and start his report and do some research.

A few hours and a half a dozen cups of coffee later, Kimura needed a break. After a quick visit to the bathroom he took the back elevator down hoping to find a place to smoke in the garden behind the hotel. The area reserved for smoking was small, but immaculately clean. He sat on the bench and lit his cigarette. 

He took out his phone. It was not yet too late to text his mate and send a 'good night kiss' to the kids. He missed them, but they needed the money. Shitty jobs like this paid the basic bills, but he wanted so much for the little tykes. Sighing quietly he was preparing to put the phone away when two young males wearing bathrobes came out holding hands. The strange thing about it was that they weren't headed for the pool. The two stopped at the back gate. They turned to kiss, which gave Kimura a good look at their profiles. He recognized both. Almost automatically he pushed the camera button on his phone and took several pictures. This story would pay well enough that they didn't need to worry about the rent for several months. Maybe they could even take a little vacation. Kimura smiled as he looked through the address book on his phone.


	6. The Seduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The man of Aki's dreams was real. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't try to get to know him. Ichiro lets his nose lead him.

The drink tray shivered in his hand. At first he thought it was a minor earthquake that just happened to coincide with the revelation, but the ground was actually firm. It was his body that was shaking. 'Impossible. He cannot be real. He should be my imagination. But he looks just like I depicted him, except better and older. Who is he?' Aki lowered his gaze, but kept watching the approaching party from the corner of his eye. He recognized the young man's suit, it was what the AOBI students wore for special occasions. Special occasions, like weddings. 'I need to talk to him. Please, if there are any supernatural beings out there, please, let him not be one of the grooms. Gods, fates, demons or anyone, please.'

The Master of Ceremonies came to his rescue. 'And his best man, Sasaki Ichiro, the recipient of Golden Future Award both last and this year.' 

The announcement made Aki feel like he had won the lottery. 'Smart too, just like my Isamu.' The sense of pride he felt was ridiculous. 'He is not mine and he is not Isamu. He just looks like he stepped out of the book. Except all grown up and handsome.' Aki regretted his disguise. He had infiltrated the party in order to gather material for his next book discreetly, but now it would have been better to have arrived as a guest instead. 'I could have just gone to talk to him then.'

Apparently several guests had that same idea. The young man was soon surrounded and cornered by business executives trying to sink their hooks on the promising youth before anyone else. The young man appeared cool and collected, but something was off. Aki moved closer to the group with his tray. 'They really are like a pack of wolves. Anyone would be nervous pressured like that. I need to rescue him.'

'Gentlemen, perhaps you would care for a refreshing drink?' A pleasant, smooth voice cut through the chatter of the men surrounding Ichiro. He turned his head to seek the source and felt like he'd been kicked. The waiter's beautiful face and gentle smile made Ichiro's abdominal muscles contract almost violently. Before he was able to recover, his shirt was cold and wet. 'I am so sorry, young master. Please, follow me to the wings. Allow me to help clean my mistake.' A warm hand took his and for some reason he didn't even think of letting go of it.

'Mistake?' Ichiro sounded sceptical. 'You did that on purpose, I think. Perhaps you have a proposal that outdoes all of theirs for me?' There was something odd going on here he thought, but still kept following the man holding his hand. They stopped in front of the elevator doors.

'Proposal?' A soft blush appeared on the older man's face as if something had just occurred to him. 'Not quite. I just thought you were not happy there, so I took things into my own hands. I've wanted to talk to you all evening. I am nothing like the predators there.' This was dangerous. He was pretty much admitting his status to this young man, who in spite of his discomfort clearly was one of the predators himself. 'My real name is Takayama Akira. Not many people know that, so I am somewhat at your mercy. I have other names that are known to more people. I am asking of you to give me the chance to get acquainted.'

Entering the elevator was already an agreement. 'It is true I do not like crowds like that. Thank you. You have made me curious too. By all means, let us talk, Takayama-san.' Ichiro drew a deep breath. The scent emanating from his companion was gently, comforting like a cup of really nice tea. It was not exactly like anything truly horrible could happen after all.

They walked past a few doors on the 12th floor corridor before Aki opened a door with his key card. The room was spacious and beautifully decorated. Obviously not cheap, but not like the slightly intimidating suite the Kanai family was occupying. 

'Please, take of the the soaked clothes and drop them in the wash basket. There are clean robes on the shelves in the bathroom.' As the bathroom door closed Aki realized that he was actually getting scared. He'd done some rather stupid things when he was young and desperate. He had not understood how such things would haunt him later. He was not exactly sure why this young man's opinion was so important when he had hardened his heart to whatever was usually said about him. He did know that being shunned by Ichiro would be devastating. He took the book he'd written almost five years ago from the nightstand and leafed through, memories coming back. Memories of the time the main character Isamu was his only friend. The imaginary friend preserved on paper that had given him the courage to get through trying times. Sighing he placed the book on the table and placed a quick call to the front desk asking them to send someone to pick up laundry for express service.

When Ichiro emerged from the bathroom, Aki picked up the basket with clothes and placed it outside the room door. 'They will return the clothes clean and pressed in two hours. Please, make yourself comfortable, Sasaki-san. I need to remove my contact lenses, but that should not take more than a few minutes. If you are thirsty, feel free to rummage the mini fridge.' 

Aki fled to the bathroom a fine sheen of perspiration covering his face. He had never done anything quite this nerve wracking. Embarrassing things, scary things certainly but nothing that compared to this. He concentrated on removing the dark lenses from his eyes. It still amazed even himself what a difference that made in his appearance. Was he making the biggest mistake of his life?

The young man was sitting on one of the armchairs by the tiny table reading the book, Aki took the other chair. 'This is amazing. I've read all other books in the series except this first one. It has been out of print so long. Where did you find it?' Ichiro looked up from the book meeting his host's gaze and froze. Those beautiful green eyes that had been haunting him ever since the film at class earlier that day. He gasped for air, for the first time truly nervous about this play with fire he had undertaken out of curiosity. 'You are him, aren't you? Shigeo.'

The remarkable emerald eyes closed and Aki sighed. 'Well, this is about the worst start. The sins of my past have caught up fast. How did you figure that out, if I may ask?' He had wanted to talk about other things first and confess to that only later. Frustration and fear of rejection combined with embarrassing memories. The room filled with acidic scent resembling pickles.

'Your eyes.' Ichiro swallowed as the eyes in question opened and looked at him. 'I have not been able to forget your eyes. We saw the film about the snake today in class. The way you looked at that other guy...' His voice broke and he buried his face in his hands. Ichiro forced himself under the icy control he practiced every day. Even if this meeting was meant to end in bed, which might have been just his delusion too, attacking this person would be unwise. He drew a deep breath. The scent of cinnamon rolls tickled his palate.

'Then, please, look at me.' Aki knelt beside the chair, placing his hands on Ichiro's knees and raised his gaze. 'I was not actually looking at that guy. I was thinking about my imaginary lover. My ideal lover. I thought he was perfect, but reality beats imagination.' He swallowed as Ichiro's face reappeared from behind his hands. 'I understand this must be strange to you. There is so much I would want to know about you and so much I want to share. But right now, for even just a little while, let me make love to you, please.'

Those lovely eyes shone with green fire and golden sparkles. The expression resembled the one seen on the film, but the intensity was tenfold. There was also fear of rejection, which hit Ichiro's guts like a thunderbolt. If this was a dream it was getting more an more bizarre, he thought. 'It makes no sense. Why me? This is not my area of expertise. I mean, you are beautiful and attractive and everything.' Takayama smelled so nice and his hands were so warm and they were a little too close for comfort. He was definitely feeling the effects all over his body.

The green gaze clouded over slightly. 'At first it was just because you look so much like I imagined. But every moment near you, I know I want more. Three years ago...' His voice cracked and he swallowed. 'Something pretty bad happened and until I saw you I did not think I could ever do it again.' 

 

This man was so adorable and his scent was just the perfect mixture of sweet and spicy. Ichiro did not think there could be any sane, single man in the world who'd deny that request, let alone a curious virgin. He wanted to know what being held intimately felt like and if things went wrong they'd not need to meet again, so his pride would be safe too. However, there was one thing he could not ever do, not even for this man. Ichiro's throat felt parched and his voice sounded strange when he finally spoke. 'If I get to be the top, then yes.'


	7. In the Heat of The Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you have read this far and don't know, I have a second story about the same place started as well.  
> One of the main characters is Ken's 10 months younger brother Kazu.
> 
> 'Undercover Work' takes place about 6 months after this, but I am trying to keep it spoiler free. There is a note on each chapter about that.

Taste of blood in his mouth mixed with the scents of sex and the most amazing musky honey scent that had woken Ichiro up. He released his teeth from the nape of the man he was holding and laid his head on the still heaving chest. He'd bonded the Omega to him. 'What the hell did I just do...'

Memories came flooding back into his slowly clearing mind. They had made love earlier. The first time had been gentle and sweet, the second playful and experimental. They had fallen asleep after the second round smiling at each other. 

He remembered waking up to a pleasant feeling of warm skin and a soft whimper. His partner had tried to move further. That had felt fundamentally wrong and he'd grabbed his hand. After that everything became a blur. Savagely without even a hint of mercy he had claimed the body now quivering underneath him. 'Mine. Mine. Mine. Only mine. Take only me inside you. Have my babies. Get pregnant, get pregnant.' He'd been ramming into that slick, warm place with every one of those thoughts. 'GET PREGNANT.' The last thought roared in his mind, his knot swelled joining their lower bodies together. He'd clamped his teeth on Akira's nape so hard that blood came out. 

Ichiro groaned. Waves of languid pleasure were still rocking his body, but his mind was a mess. Aki sunk his fingers in the thick, dark, smooth hair on his brand new mate's head and gently stroked it. He whispered softly, 'Alpha, I am so sorry. I did not think this could happen. My last heat was only two weeks ago.' For him this was a dream and a nightmare. Hot tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes and he sniffled. The head under his hand rose and their eyes met. Both were searching each others' faces for expressions of their feelings.

'I am the one who is sorry. I hurt you. I even bit Takayama. Much harder than necessary too.' Ichiro shook his head and sighed deeply. 'I overestimated myself and my self-control. How badly are you injured? Do you need a doctor?'

'I am not broken. I'll probably have some bruising on my arm, but that is it. The bite will heal too. As long as you are not upset about the bond, it is fine.' Aki decided to answer honestly. 'My other 'injuries' are from the other time. Like Alpha's.' Both men blushed simultaneously. Indeed, they both had quite a few love bites on various parts of their bodies. 'There is no need for a doctor. But I'll need a special transport to get out of this hotel.'

When the meaning of 'special transport' sunk into Ichiro's brain he actually growled. 'No-one gets to harm you. You are mine.' The declaration was bold, but also a fact. The bloodied bite on the back of Aki's neck was irrefutable evidence. My Omega. A posessive shiver ran down Ichiro's spine.

'I am yours.' Aki spoke quietly, his voice trembling. 'I have no objection to that. But are you really alright with that? People will say some pretty nasty things, because of my past. And you still don't even know everything.'

'People have been saying nasty things about me all my life. I can take it. I may have problems with people who badmouth you, though.' Ichiro's voice was quiet but resolute. 'We're in this together. For every day to come.' On an impulse he kissed Aki's forehead. 'I will get a job and and support you and any offspring we may have.'

The green eyes flashed in anger, but then Aki laughed quietly. 'I understand you mean well. But I don't need anyone to support me. I make enough money with my writing. I could offer to support you, in fact. But I know you'd take it even worse than I did. So, until your graduate from the University, you just support yourself.' Ichiro's expression grew dark and Aki placed a finger on his mate's lips. 'Emotional support, however, is more than welcome.'

A loud knock on the door interrupted them. Before they could even react the door was opened and a team of men lead by Kanai-sensei entered the room. He took one look and commanded, 'Every alpha outside, now.' Three men left fast and a young, refined looking male was about to follow them, but was stopped by the teacher. 'Satoru, you stay. This is useful for you.' The youth nodded and stood near the door, avoiding looking at the couple in bed.

'Good to see that our worst fears were unfounded.' He had quickly assessed the way the two were holding onto each other. 'This does not look like abduction or rape. Well, can you two move or are you still stuck together?' 

All three young men in the room flustered. Aki forced himself to reply, 'Almost. Maybe five more minutes.' Aki squeezed his alpha's hand, knowing it must be even more humiliating for Ichiro than himself. 'Together.'

Kanai-sensei strode to the bathroom and quickly returned with a moistened wash cloth. He tossed it to Ichiro. 'Sasaki, wipe your face, please. You look like some bloody vampire.' Indeed, the ruffled young man with blood around his mouth looked more like a monster than an honor student.

Ichiro sighed quietly and cleaned his face. 'Kanai-sensei, Kanai-san, a question, please. Was one of the men who left Ken-san?' Since Satoru here it was barely possible that his mate would not have been there, but Ichiro needed to be sure. When the two affirmed his suspicion, he covered his eyes with his free hand. 'How embarrassing. Please, convey my apologies to him.'

'Embarrassing things happen in life. I have no doubt that Ken-kun is just very happy for his friend. Well, as soon as you can, take a quick shower and put on some clean robes. I'll arrange you a car. Come to the Institute by 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. Both of you.' Kanai-sensei grinned. 'Enjoy your honeymoon weekend.'


	8. In Transit

They thought they had made it to the Special Transportation Vehicle without too much attention. They were sitting on the bench of the stripped down ambulance wearing just bathrobes and slippers. The driver had looked at Aki's neck in disgust and handed Ichiro a bottle of disinfectant along with some cotton balls.

'This is going to hurt.' 

Ichiro held the soaked cotton bit near the bite wound wanting to delay what he knew needed to be done. His mate's scent had changed, he smelled distressed.

Aki pulled his hair up and bent his head down. This was stranger than any of his fiction. He'd thought he'd never be in this situation. Especially after he'd been ruined. If it hadn't been for the people at AOB Institute, he probably would have died soon afterwards. He'd never truly had appreciated it, but now the gratitude was overwhelming. He has delirious with happiness and more afraid than even on that awful day. If his Alpha were to toss him aside, he'd not recover ever again. He forced himself to concentrate on the present and braced himself for the sting.

'It's okay. I can take it. I am a big boy after all.' 

'Yes. You are, aren't you? I think you must be at least 5 cm taller than me. Alright, one, two, three...' 

Aki shuddered and the air left his lungs with a squeak when the cold, wet cotton ball touched the broken skin of his wound. The stinging liquid made its way into his flesh searing it. Pain, glorious pain. He didn't like pain, but this pain he needed. Not only had he survived, but he felt one hundred percent alive. 

The cotton ball retreated and the sting was starting to receded as well. Arms wrapped around his torso and a warm body lent on his back. The smell of disinfectant still lingered, but was slowly being overtaken by the warm, comforting scent that he never wanted to go away. The words he'd not thought ever wanting to say came out from his lips in a soft whisper.

'My Alpha.'

Ichiro swallowed. His emotions were running wild like a flock of sheep startled by a wolf. The warm, beautiful, sexy body leaning against him filled his heart with joy and built a slow burning heat in his belly. He let it be and just snuggled his Omega for now. The recess of the heat would not last very long and then... Yes, then they'd be in for another wild ride. For the 'Ice Virgin' the whole though was odd. Right. He wasn't a virgin anymore. How odd. How wonderful.

'My Omega. My Akira?'

'Yes, Alpha. Or Aki, if you like.'

'Aki. Call me Ichiro, please.'

A third person to call him by his first name in just two days. He'd though before that family did not count in this regard, but he had been wrong. Aki was his Omega, his mate, his family and it counted in a different way than the friends he'd made.

The pocket of Ichiro's robe started to vibrate. He took out his mobile phone. Ken was calling for the 16th time since they had parted. He answered.

'Ichiro-san. This is Ken. Umh..Are you alright? Can you talk? Satoru just told me to ask you.'

The concern in the other Alpha's voice was touching.

'Ken-san. I can talk for a bit. We're in the STV car right now.'

'What? Who is 'we' and where are you going? You are still together with the guy from the hotel?'

A low, thoaty laugh came out of Ichiro surprising him. He used his free hand to rub Aki's shoulder reassuring him instinctively.

'Of course. Who else would I be with than my bonded mate. As to where we are going...Where are we going, Aki?'

Aki replied quietly while Ken was making a rather loud surprised sound.

'Home. My house. Unless you want to go somewhere else, A..ichiro.' 

Ichiro nodded at Aki and spoke to the phone again.

'We're going home. Hold on, I'll put this thing on speakers so we can all talk.'

They continued to talk a few more minutes, all four of them. Satoru was relieved to hear the bloody scene at the hotel was not the nightmare he'd feared and he also took the opportunity to tell Aki that he loved his 'Isamu and the Chameleon' books. As Aki thanked Kanai-san for the compliment a light bulb went off in Ichiro's head. They finished the call agreeing to talk again next Wednesday.

'So Aki, did I get it right? You are also Fujita Makoto-sensei, the author of the Isamu-series?'

'Yes. I was going to tell you about that, but Shigeo got in the way.' 

Shigeo (luxuriant man), had been the alias Aki had used when he was acting in erotic films a few years ago. One of those films had been shown earlier that day to Ichiro's class and he'd been captivated. Especially by the actor's green eyes. The same green eyes that were now looking at him, their expression concerned.

'Ah. I don't think that Alpha fellow can hold a candle to my Omega.' Ichiro nuzzled his mate's neck. 'Which reminds me, how...?'

'I was an actor. Very little of those films is real. Camera tricks and pretending. They are just fairy tales for adults. There are other kinds of films too, but luckily I wasn't sold to such a place.'

Ichiro's throat felt dry. Aki had been sold? This was not the moment to talk about such heavy subjects though, so he buried the thought for now. 

'Ah. So, are there still more of you? You're really just like the Chamelon.'

The tension left Aki's body. He'd not been aware how worried he'd been about his Alphas response until it turned out positive.

'The Chameleon was based on me. And I always imagined Isamu looked very much like you. As for the other question, who knows. If you want to find out stay with me.'  
Pride swelled in Ichiro's chest. His Omega had practically confessed wanting to spend their lives together instead of just getting together for sex and breeding. He cupped the Omega's face and looked at him in the eye. He swore to himself to discover all of this fascinating person's secrets.

'I fully intend to stay.'


	9. Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you don't want to read a love scene, scroll to the notes for a summary. ;)

Saturday morning after the 'Society Wedding of the Season' dawned rainy. Aki didn't mind a soft Spring rain. He wouldn't have minded a storm either today. In fact, bad weather would have given the best excuse not to move from bed. Spooning with Ichiro he could feel slow steady breaths tickling his ear. His Alpha was still asleep. Aki closed his eyes and luxuriated in the feeling. It was a perfect morning.

An hour later it was less perfect. Waves of pain and arousal were hitting his body, but he tried to remain motionless. Ichiro needed his sleep after all the work he'd done last night. Memories flooded Aki's mind turning his body on even more. The recess was over again, his heat was flaming up. He could no longer keep himself from rubbing against his Alpha's body and breathing in his delectable scent. 

'Alpha, please. I need you.' 

 

Something warm was moving against Ichiro's body drawing his consciousness back from the dreams. He stretched slightly, drew a deep breath and his eyes pooped open. The bed was unfamiliar, the room was unfamiliar, but the warm body rubbing against him was not. He sniffed the back of Aki's neck softly and his mate whimpered. His first deep breath had already told his body to prepare and now his lower half was more than ready to serve. The rest of him was slower to awaken, which his mate seemed to grasp even in his heat induced arousal.

'This way, My Alpha. Inside. Please, give me your knot.

Aki lifted his upper leg and maneuvered their bodies so that his mate had free access to his entrance. Ichiro slid inside the slick, warm, pulsating cavity that felt tailored just for him. It only took a few slow deep thrusts for the alpha special ring of erectile tissue at the base of his rod to catch up with the rest of the organ forming the knot that tied the mates together. 

Their pheromones were intermingling in the air making it heavy with sweet aromas. They were tied together and they were breathing each other in. The pulsating waves of pleasure radiated from the genital area all over their bodies only to be reflected back when they hit the skin. The tension built slowly until explosion was unavoidable. Breathless they hung onto each other in the pleasure of the aftershocks.

'Good morning, Aki mine.' Ichiro purred. 'I think this could become one of my favorite positions.' He buried his nose in the small dent between Aki's neck and shoulder.

'Ah. Yes, my Alpha. I always wanted to try this too.' 

He felt cherished in this gentle hold though he had absolutely nothing to say against being ravished either. His heat was satiated for now and in spite of the rain outside a sun shone in his world. A sun called Ichiro.

The front door opened and closed. Light, running footsteps were approaching the bedroom. Aki grabbed a sheet and covered their bodies groaning quietly.

'Brace yourself. We're about to be ambushed by my friend's kid.'

Ichiro had barely time to blink before a bundle of energy bounced on top of them. He found himself face to face with a small boy of maybe four or five years. Investing in a good lock on the bedroom door seemed like the best idea in the whole world right now.

'Aki-ojisan! Morning!' The boy chirped and then fell silent stopping to stare at the stranger.

'Good morning, Ren-chan.' Aki smiled gently at the little boy. 'Ichiro, this is my friend Hajime's son Ren. Ren-chan, this is my Alpha, Sasaki-san.'

The boy's eyes went round. An Alpha. Alphas were scary, he knew. But the man didn't look that scary and Aki-ojisan didn't seem at all scared. A loud gasp drew everyone's gazes to the door. A slim man of average height stood there, his face pale.

'Ren, come here, please.' They boy obeyed the softly spoken plea and went to his papa.

'Papa, Aki-ojisan got an Alpha.' The boy announced as his papa took him by the hand, holding it tightly.

'Yes, Ren. I can tell.' Nakamura Hajime closed his eyes and bowed towards the futon. 'Hajimemashite, Sasaki-san. I am Nakamura.' He twitched looking quite uneasy. 'Ren and I will go prepare the breakfast. In the meanwhile, you might want to see this.'

He tossed a newspaper to Aki and led the little boy towards the kitchen.

Slowly Ichiro and Aki pulled themselves separate. Aki took the paper and stared at the front page.

SCANDAL AT THE WEDDING  
AV actor and a teen caught kissing p. 27

Aki's face blanched. He turned to the the page where the article was. Then he groaned.

'I am sorry, Alpha. This is awful.' He wanted the ground to swallow him right then.

Ichiro studied the article quietly. It was embarrassing and they had some things wrong. It would have been worse if they had been caught earlier.

'Huh. It's not your fault. And it is just a kiss anyway. Besides, we're bonded. It's really none of their business. My father will call as soon as he reads this though. Don't worry, he's a very understanding person, he just worries about me.'

'He's going to hate me. I've apparently abducted his teen aged son....'

Aki looked adorably guilty. Ichiro grabbed him in his embrace and squeezed. 

'Don't worry, my sweet Omega. Only half of that is true after all. It is true that I am 19.'

Ichiro nuzzled Aki's neck, happy to feel the distress dissipating. At 19 years of age he was legally allowed to choose his own partners after all.

'I am just glad it did not say 'A 19-year old virgin kidnaps a movie star to teach him the tricks.' 

A bit embarrassed by his confession, Ichiro scrambled on his feet holding a hand out to his mate.

'Lets take a really fast shower. I'd rather be clean when I talk to father.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Morning after Aki and Ichiro are in bed. They get another walk-in surprise. This time it is Aki's friends' kid, who does not have roentgen vision and remains totally clueless about the situation.  
> The couple had been seen by a paparazzi (Kimura chapter 5) and now the press was stirring up a scandal about a former erotic film star and a teenager. Ichiro is 19, technically a teenager.


	10. Back to School

Monday. For the first time ever the top scoring student of AOBI High did not feel like going to school. It was not the school he detested and it wasn't even being apart from his Omega. It was all the information he had had input in his mind, but had not yet completely assimilated. There were bound to be some curious people asking questions. Ichiro twitched uncomfortably on the front passenger seat and Aki reached out quickly to touch his knee reassuringly. Even if it was just one pat, it did convey the message that it'd all be fine. The hybrid vehicle moved smoothly under Aki's guidance. He seemed to enjoy driving quite a bit. Ichiro was glad he'd declined the offer to take the wheel.

On the backseat, Ren was chattering happily with his papa, Nakamura Hajime. The two Omegas were going shopping after they dropped the kid off at the daycare. Apparently Aki needed clothes for the interview.

His world had gone upside down in under a week. It was not just having stumbled on his mate or falling in love. He had also learned new things about himself, his past and his mother. He and his mother had always fought and she had always forced him to submit. He had hated that so much. He'd wanted to be free of the constant strife so much that when his mother accidentally got herself killed, Ichiro had blamed himself for it.

'Your mother was not easy to live with at all. She trampled over everyone's feelings and bullied them into doing what she wanted. Pretty much like you remember. But she loved you so much and she was very proud of you standing up to her. Even though it also irritated the hell out of her that you did not understand that she knew better.' Ichiro's father had chuckled quietly. 'I know you'll do much better. I'm looking forward to meeting your Aki once he can come visit.'

His parents' relationship had been a true scandal way back then. The Amano family had actually disowned his mother for choosing a 'Beta mutt puppy' and their four year age difference had shocked a lot of people. Apparently Alpha females were only supposed to pair up with Alpha males, which might make sense if breeding more Alphas was a goal. That the female was supposed to be younger than the male made no sense to him at all. That had not stopped the infamous Amano Kamiko from doing whatever she wanted. Ichiro suspected very little in this world could have other than the Ultimate Stop a.k.a. Death. The only regret she'd ever had was not being able to see her sister Kazumi. If Kazumi had not died giving birth, Kamiko probably would have found a way to reconnect with her. 

After the phone call, Ichiro's father had sent them pictures and video clips by e-mail. Aki had been delighted to look at Ichiro's embarrassing baby pictures and home videos. Ichiro lost his patience with the clips after the first three and started reading a book instead. He didn't get very far until Aki had yelped. 'It was you! Huh...' 

They had had another call from Kanai-sensei. The talk had not been especially fun, but in the end they had agreed on a strategy. That involved an open TV interview and saying as little as possible until then. The taping would be tomorrow and the show would air on Wednesday morning and again in the evening.

The deep blue car glided to the the edge of the pavement. Ichiro squeezed Aki's hand not quite comfortable with kissing in front of the Nakamuras. He got out and waved when they drove away, grinning at little Ren.

'Tsch. Sasaki-san is late. Strange that Sasaki-san didn't take the wheel to make it in time.' 

Suzuki Kou, the Student Council Secretary, was not the person Ichiro wanted to meet first thing in the morning. Or any other time. The Beta was abrasive and annoying.

'It is his car. And while it is none of the Secretary's business, I have the first period free, so I am not late. I am early.' Ten seconds in the company of this guy and he was gritting his teeth.

'Did you buy your new little pet a car as thanks for the fuck?' 

That was it. There were so many things wrong in that question. Ichiro turned, took a few steps closing the distance between them and stared Suzuki straight in the eye.

'What the hell is wrong with you, Suzuki? I'm a scholarship student, I don't buy cars.' 

He really wanted to set the moron straight on his relationship with Aki, but it was personal and not something he wanted to share with this idiot.

'So the Amano family is not happy with your new toy? Not surprising, I suppose.'

For the first time since puberty, Ichiro let out his scent without reserve. He didn't expect it to affect the Beta that much, since they did not scent the world the same way as Alphas or Omegas, but at that potency even the dummy would notice something.

'I have nothing to do with the Amano family.' 

The growl and the presence of the Alpha did cause the Beta to shrink back slightly.

'And furthermore, people are not toys. But I guess that is something someone like you could not understand.'

All color left Suzuki's face and he was gasping for air. Ichiro stalked away. He needed a quiet place to relax. He headed for the library roof.

Suzuki fell on his knees. The words echoed in his mind changing and twisting. 'Someone like you could not understand.' 'A Beta retard like you just cannot get it.' 'You're such a loser and you don't even know it.' He hated the arrogant bastard Alphas and he hated the 'please-walk-over-me' Omegas, but most of all he hated himself.

The library roof was usually empty at this time of the day, but today Ichiro was not in luck. A second year student, judging by the color of his bag, was weeping quietly near the fence. The kid froze into a tight ball obviously noticing someone had walked in on him. The scent of a distressed Omega reached Ichiro's nostrils and he felt like shit about it. 

'I am sorry. I must stink horribly.' He spoke softly hoping to reassure the shivering youngster. 'I had an encounter with the Student Council Secretary.'

The human ball relaxed a tiny bit. 'Oh. You too.'

Ichiro sat down far enough to, hopefully, not be threatening. He'd stopped oozing his scent, but it was still all over him, clinging to his clothes.

'Hey, are you okay? What a stupid question to ask, I guess. I mean, do you want to talk about it, maybe?' Ichiro tried hard not to issue commands. Weeping people rarely responded positively to them.

'Sasaki-san has never talked to me before. I don't know what to think about that. But if Sasaki-san wants to listen, I guess.' 

The tear stained face of Amano Kaede peeked out over his knee watching Ichiro nervously. His cousin actually looked quite a lot like his mother. Ichiro had told that annoying Suzuki that he had nothing to do with the Amano family. It was true, but it was not. He'd always been curious about this cousin of his, the only surviving son of his own mother's sister.

'Well, since your family threw us in the trash, I hardly thought it wise to approach you, Amano-san.'

The slight bitterness in the Alpha's tone made the boy flinch slightly. He lowered his gaze, his shoulders tense.

'Is that so. I just assumed that Sasaki-san didn't want to have anything to do with a double disappointment like me.'

 

'Double.. what?'

 

Kaede swallowed and took a deep breath. It was obviously hard for him to say what he needed to say.

'Because I was not born a girl and then presented as an Omega. They said my mother...That she died in vain.'

Cold shivers of rage ran down Ichiro's back. In some ways he'd not totally bought the story of his mother being thrown out and disinherited. He'd thought that she'd probably just stormed out after a row. But right now the Amano were starting to sound like total morons.

'I don't see anything wrong with either. I mean it is not something one can choose, right? Is that why Amano was crying?'

'Not exactly. Or rather not just that, but more.'  
Ichiro nodded, hopefully encouragingly. Neither of them noticed a quiet shape by the door.

'Go on, please.'

Kaede started to sob again. Ichiro moved slowly closer and offered a hand to his cousin. It hurt him to see the kid in so much pain. Kaede took the hand hesitantly and looked at his cousin with teary, but grateful eyes.

'Arranged marriage. They have sold me to some Alpha. I hate it! I just hate it! How can they be so cruel...' 

The sobs grew louder and without a further thought Ichiro embraced his younger cousin. Neither of them noticed the shape at the door falling on his knees or could hear the sound of a breaking heart. A few seconds later the shape disappeared down the stairs.

'That's awful. Who? Immediately?' Ichiro tried to console Kaede by stroking his hair. 'They cannot really force you. Not legally.'

'Legal has little to do with it. They can pressure me into it and they know it. I don't even want to know who, but...apparently they are willing to wait until after graduation.

Ichiro dug into his jacket pocket and gave a paper hankie to Kaede. The latter smiled and nodded gratefully, before blowing his nose.

'That gives us almost two years to get you out of it. If you want that? I shouldn't just assume your wishes, should I? I'm your cousin, not your aunt.'

Ichiro seemed to have made a joke, but it went totally over Kaede's head. He didn't dare to ask for an explanation, so he just nodded. He drew a breath and now that his nose was working properly he noticed something interesting.

'Oi, Sasaki-san is bonded?'

The worried face in front of Kaede melted into a softly radiating smile. A very pleasant, soothing scent filled the air.

'Yes. But it is still a secret for two days. Please, keep it to yourself. Not that people aren't guessing, but ..still. Questions will be answered on Wednesday.'

Ichiro stood up and offered his hand to help his cousin, who did not hesitate to take it. Somehow they managed to kick Kaede's bag and the books came spilling out. Ichiro bent down to put them back, but stopped as the topmost booklet's name caught his eye. He picked it up and looked at the cover.

'Hey, can I borrow this? I know someone who'd love to see it. I promise to bring it back Wednesday.'

Kaede blushed for no apparent reason. He got on one knee and started putting the rest of the books back in the bag.

'Sasaki-san can keep it. I have another copy.'

Ichiro smiled and bowed to the surprise of the younger Omega.

'Thank you very much, Ama..No, Kaede-san. If that is alright? Since we're cousins after all. I'm Ichiro.'

'Ichiro-san. Thank you.' 

The smile on Ichiro's cousins face reminded him of the time he was still a little kid and his mother had smiled at him. 

'I'll go first. Wait a few minutes, Kaede-san. Then go wash your face. If we go together they will all think I was bullying you.' 

Ichiro waved and left the roof. Kaede stayed standing there hugging his bag. Mating really suited his cousin. Or maybe he had always been this kind, but Kaede had been too dense to see.


	11. TV-special: Ken and Satoru

The big auditorium was filled up completely. Some students were even sitting on chairs stolen from near-by classrooms and some had plopped down on the stairs. The rumors had been circulating for two days about something 'big' being revealed and hardly anyone wanted to miss it.

The lights dimmed. The projector at the back started humming, the screen above the podium exploded with light and sound. Most recognized the opening music of a popular talk show. They were correct. The text 'Threesome Extra' flashed on screen. The name was a pun referring to the three secondary genders rather than three people in bed. Most students thought it was stupid and embarrassing.

The show started by showing the host the whole country knew as 'Ai-san'. The name was probably fake, chosen to because most often the subject of the show was romance. The host himself was a rather gorgeous man, self-confessed Beta. What was unusual about this episode was the lack of studio audience.

Ai: Welcome again all my lovelies! Sad that none of you could join us here, but I have a special treat for all of you today. Last Friday a very special wedding reception took place at the Hoshi Hotel. We have now here with us the happy couple...

The camera zoomed on two young men sitting on a comfortable looking sofa holding hands. They were dressed in casual clothes and the make-up people behind the scenes had enhanced their features. It took the students a couple of seconds to make the connection, the auditorium buzzed with frantic whispers.

Ai: Kanai Ken-san and Kanai Satoru-san. Thank you very much for coming to share your story on our show today!

Ken: Good day! I am Kanai-ken. Satoru and I are honored to be here, but also a little nervous. This is the first time we have ever been on television. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Ai: Yoroshiku. So, when and where did you two meet?

The two glanced at each other grinning.

Satoru: We met in our little hometown. But we don't know when. We've known each other as long as we remember. Not the most exciting start, I fear.

Ai: You went to school together. Were you in the same class always?

Ken: For many years, yes. Me, Satoru and my younger brother Kazu were in the same class all the way from kindergarten to second grade of highschool.

Ai: Younger brother? Are you twins?

Ken: Ah, no. Not twins, but he is only ten months younger than me. I was the oldest in the class and he was the youngest. He sure made certain there were no dull schooldays. 

Both young men were smiling fondly at some memories they weren't sharing.

Ai: Satoru-san, how about you? Do you have brothers or even sisters?

Satoru: Not yet anyway. But Ken's brothers have always been like brothers to me too. There are five of them.

Ai: Five? Younger or older?

Ken: Four younger and one older. Our eldest brother has lived on his own for many years now. Now that I have moved to another household there are four brothers left. And our papa, of course. Our father died in a car accident when I was fourteen.

The host made sympathetic sounds before launching to another question.

Ai: That many boys must have made it very lively. Did you fight a lot growing up?

Ken laughed.

Ken: When we were small, yes. And the two months after Kazu presented were...painful. Unfortunately Taro could not be there at that time. After I caught up with Kazu he started to listen to me again. Well, to the extent he ever listens to anyone. With two of us Alphas so close in age, it could have gotten bloody, I guess. The three youngest are all good kids. We don't know what they will be, but we know they will be great.

Ai: On the subject of brothers... Guess what, we have a surprise for you!

There was a sound of a phone ringing.

A voice in English: Hello! 

Ai: Ai here. Tarotora-san?

The screen was filled with a slideshow of pictures taken of the famous singer and model Tarotora. His multicolored hair and vivid purple eyes drew attention to themselves. His face was very handsome and he seemed to flirt with the camera.

Taro: Good evening from London, Ai-san! I was told that you have kidnapped my younger brother.

Ai: No, no. I am the one captivated here. (chuckle) Please, feel free to say hello to each other.

Taro: Ken-chin, Sat-chan, been too long. I am sorry I could not get to your wedding. Congratulations! I am so happy for you two.

Ken: Taro-nii-chan. Good to hear you. I do wish you had been there, it was quite an eventful night.

Taro: I bet. But surely you did not need me there for that? (evil chuckle)

Satoru: Bakataro. We weren't talking about THAT stuff.

The camera zoomed on Satoru's flushed face.

Ai: So, Tarotora-san, what's next for you? Coming home any time soon?

Taro: I'm in the process of recording now and planning a small tour around New Years.

Chat about the singer's plans continued a couple of minutes. Then Ai-san questioned the young couple about their future plans.

Satoru: We're starting at AOBI Uni next year. Biochemistry for me and Ken is still deciding.

Ai-san: (sounds disappointed) No kids?

Ken and Satoru look at each other smiling.

Ken: Not quite yet. We have other things to accomplish first. But we do want a couple of them later.

Ai: Well, one more question. Do you consider yourselves to be a 'fated pairing'?

Ken: What a question. It may be that we simply grew into each other, not sure if that is fate or not. But personally I don't care. I cannot imagine there being anyone more perfect for me. We're happy, isn't that the most important thing?

Satoru blushed and rached out to give Ken's cheek a quick kiss.

Satoru: I like to think it was fate that we were born in the same place. But Ken is right. What matters is the love we have not how it came to be. However, if you want a fated pairing, be sure to stay tuned.

Satoru winked.

The imaged faded out and commercial break started.


	12. TV-special: Ichiro and Aki

The noise in the big auditorium died slowly when the second part of 'Threesome' started.

Soft music played. On the screen appeared a text in bold white lettering even the back row could see clearly.

**IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS A BALL...**

A video clip of a colorful ball rolling on the ground played fading back to black and white.

**AND TWO BOYS...**

The clip showed first a boy of about ten years of age trying to go after the ball and being stopped by a guard. Then it showed a younger boy running along the red carpet to the ball and picking it up.

**THIS IS HOW THEY MET FOR THE FIRST TIME...**

The smaller boy was giving the ball to its owner. They were smiling. The camera zoomed in on the happy face of the boy. He still had remnants of tears still in his green eyes. The smaller boy waved and ran back. 

The film ended and Ai-san, the host of the show, appeared on the screen.

Ai: Welcome back my lovelies! Wasn't that touching?  
(pause)  
Ai: It took them over 14 years to meet again. That fateful day was just last Friday. They met accidentally at the Hoshi Hotel during the Kanai Reception and were immediately attracted to each other. Since that part of the story has been promised as an exclusive to 'Shimmer' Magazine, we won't talk about that night here. Disappointing, I know! 

Ai-san looked at the camera with sad puppy dog eyes. Then he flashed his signature smile at the camera.

Ai: But these two have a lot of other things to share with us. They are here right now...

The camera spun and focused on the guest sofa. There was a different pair of young men seated on it.

Ai: Welcome to the show, Sasaki Ichiro-san and Takayama Akira-san, right?

The auditorium hummed. The students had not recognized the faces until they heard the name of their schoolmate. The frightfully arrogant and cold Alpha who scored near perfect in every test was on TV. Even more amazingly with a mate and gorgeous one at that.

Ichiro: Thank you for having us here to clear up some strange rumors. I am afraid that you have some outdated information. 

Aki: Yes. It is Sasaki Akira now.

Ai: (clapping his hands together) You got married! Congratulations! But isn't it a little...fast?

Ichiro: Under normal circumstances I would certainly say it is too fast. Maybe we would have waited a few months, if that newspaper article had not appeared. But it would not have changed anything, we'd still been bonded.

Ai: This Newspaper article?  
There was a shot of a newspaper article printed last Saturday about a scandal of a former erotic actor and a teen caught in a compromising kiss at Hoshi hotel. 

Ichiro: (growl)

Ai-san looked leaned closer to look at the young man. He tilted his head from side to side. The two guests watched him obviously puzzled by his behavior. 

Ai: Forgive me, Sasaki-san, but you do not look like a teen aged boy. Is there a mistake here?

The hosts antics actually helped to disarm the situation. Ichiro and Akira were chuckling.

Ichiro: No, no mistake there. A lot of other things are not correct, but that one is. I am actually 19. And they kind of made Aki sound like some dirty old man, but he's only 24.

Ai: For the marriage you still needed parental permission, since you're not twenty. How did you persuade your father?

Ichiro: Ah. He was actually the one who sent us that video clip we saw at the start. It was something my mother used to treasure. When we realized that the other boy was Aki, we called him back and he said 'That explains it.' We had no problem getting permission. In fact, father suggested it.

Ai: We have Sasaki Naoto-san on the phone right now. Good day, Sasaki-san!

Naoto: Good day, Ai-san. Hello my boys!

(The young men waved on screen.)

Ai: So, Sasaki-san, this must have been quite a shocker to you too. What made you decide they should marry now and not wait until your son turns 20?

Naoto: The video you saw. See, Ichiro doesn't actually remember the incident, but it left an impression on him. For more than a year afterwards, he ran to the mirror each morning and was heartbroken when his eyes hadn't turned green. He never got over his fascination for green eyes. My guess is that he was looking for the right pair all the time. And since they were bonded already, what reason would there be not to marry too? 

Ai: You don't think 19 is too young to bond and marry?

Naoto: (dry chuckle) Wouldn't that be hypocritical of me? After all I was 17 when Kamiko turned my quiet life upside down.

Ai: That would be Amano Kamiko, the famous activist?

Naoto: Yes. And my wife and Ichiro's mother. Losing her was …

Ai: My condolences. 

Naoto: Thank you. But back on topic, I have no doubt that these two were meant to be together. My only regret is that we did not understand that 14 years ago. We could have had Aki in our family so much longer.

The camera showed Aki, who was near tears. Ichiro wrapped his arm around his mate's shoulder.

Ai: Thank you, Sasaki Naoto-san. Now, Sasaki Akira-san, you look very happy about that. Do you remember that incident with the ball?

Aki: I do. I was so frantic about losing that ball. It was the last gift my papa gave me before he was hospitalized and died. The guard would not let me get it and I was despairing. Then out of nowhere came this little, cute boy and he brought my precious toy back to me. I thought he was so brave. He became my inspiration and my imaginary friend. When I saw that film and realized that I had found him again and gotten bonded, it was just like a romantic fantasy.

Ai: Speaking of romantic fantasy, you used to act for **** studios and made several films for them. Would you like to talk about that some?

Aki: I guess it is best just to get that over with, so I'll talk. I presented when I was sixteen. My father could not deal with an Omega kid and he sold me to the studio. For two years they had me take lessons in acting and once it was legal to have me naked, they started filming. I liked the plot parts and hated the sex scenes. But, let me add, **** studio does not produce reality films, the sex was all fake. Sorry, if their profits drop because of this.

Ichiro rubbed Aki's arm, helping him to calm down.

Ai: Indeed. It is well known that **** studio does not get involved in hard core stuff. If telling that it is all acted makes some people not buy, I have no doubt it can also get others to buy the films. However, you quit making films immediately after you had paid your price back, didn't you? What did you do next?

Aki: Well, actually I started doing what I love while I was still acting and because of the success of the first book of 'Isamu and the Chameleon' -series, I was able to get out of the acting contract a year in advance.

Ichiro: I loved those books. I always thought that the Chameleon was the coolest character ever. I still do. 

Aki: Thank you, My Alpha. For me it was, of course, always Isamu. Isamu was based on a very courageous little boy I met once...as you all now know. And Chameleon was what I wished I could be. When I first saw my Alpha, I thought he was Isamu come live.

Aki looked at the camera with a soft, apologetic smile.

Aki: I guess the cat is out of the bag now. I know people have been arguing for years which of the characters is the Alpha and which the Omega. This is how I wrote it, but I hope it doesn't stop others thinking about it the other way around. I have read some really wonderful fan fiction that turns the roles. In fact, I have one here with me...

Aki held up a Doujinshi manga titled 'The Chameleon's Courage'. (Isamu means 'courage')

Aki: This is brilliant. We are hoping to recruit the mangaka to help with the upcoming anime. It should air early next year, so keep watching. (chuckle) I've talked too much again. I am sorry.

In the auditorium the second year student Amano Kaede gasped and turned pasty white. He started shaking. It had been quite weird seeing his cousin on TV. But seeing his idol holding his work and saying those things could not be real.

Ai: No, nothing to apologize. Great news there. So, are there going to be any real little Isamu's running around?

Ichiro and Aki looked at each out, rosy blush rising on both of their cheeks.

Ichiro: It is way too early to know, but we can hope.

Ichiro kissed Aki's cheek and the image faded out. 

The stream ended and the screen started to rise making room on the floor. Four men walked to the center stage, three in the school suit and one in white pants and emerald shirt. 

The audience gasped. In front of them stood live the couples from the broadcast.

Kanai-sensei walked up to the microphone.

'Alright, I hope that made some thing clear. Everyone, please, convene in your designation's lounges. Kanai and Sasaki have agreed to talk to you after lunch. Think about if you have any questions. Stupid ones are allowed, mean ones are not. Dismissed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone can think of questions the students want to ask, please, let me know. I have ideas, of course, but I'd love the input. There will be other stuff before that chapter though.
> 
> If you have read the Season 2: Undercover Works, you may have noticed that some of the characters there have been infiltrated here. If you have not read the other part yet for fear of spoilers, now it is safe.


	13. EXTRA 1

The students filed out of the auditorium. Amano Kaede remained seated not minding the annoyed looked he got for making it harder for his row to get out. He stared idly in front of him. A part of his brain registered the small group still standing down near the podium, but he was still reeling from the surprise.

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine talking to the author Fujita Makoto he looked up to after lunch. Would he actually dare to ask for an autograph? And if he did, what would his cousin say? Since his idol apparently was mated to his cousin Sasaki Ichiro.

'Ka-e-de-kun!'

Kaede's eyes popped open. In front of him was a smiling face and a pair of green eyes of a man kneeling on the seat in front of him. Ichiro-san was standing next to his mate.

'Did we bore you to sleep, Kaede-kun?'

Kaede looked up. His cousin's stern face and overbearing presence were intimidating to most people, let alone for a younger Omega. But looking closer, there was a glint in those eyes. He was seeing through the facade.

'Would Amano-san be able to join us for lunch?'

The softer voice spoke nearer to his ear. He looked down to the kindly smiling face then back up to find a surprising smile on his cousins lips also.

'Ah. I ..Of course, Sensei. I'd be happy to Ichiro-san.'

He was grateful that the person who had asked the question was an author. He was saved from trying to figure out the name to use and could opt for the safe 'sensei'.

'Let's leave 'sensei' to work. My name is Akira. We're cousins now, after all.'

'Akira-san, I am Kaede. Very nice to meet you!'

Kaede and Aki got on their feet and the three started walking down. They were directed into a hallway Kaede had never seen before and then to the staff lunch room. There were several groups of people already eating at the tables, most of them teachers. Ichiro lead the little party to an empty table near a window then asked whether they wanted chicken or fish and left. Kaede was about to follow, but a soft touch on his hand stopped him.

'Let him. He wants to take care of his family. Very Alpha of him.'

Family that did not think he was the most disappointing creature on the planet. Family that smiled at him. Was he really family to these two? He wanted that very much. But there was another thing he also wanted and this was the perfect opportunity.

'Can I have your autograph?'

'If I can have yours, Momiji-sensei.'

Kaede stopped breathing for a few seconds unable to believe his ears. He felt his face getting warm and was sure he looked like a tomato.

'How did you know that?'

A low chuckle behind his back startled Kaede.

'Don't forget, Kaede-kun, that your cousin is a genius. Here are your plates.'

Ichiro sat next to Aki. The mates nearly touched. Kaede felt a bit happy and a bit envious.

'Let's eat.'


	14. The Beta Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is is background stuff, I needed to keep the Betas busy.

Due to the special nature of AOBI the Beta/Unpresented boys made up about a third of the student body. Out in the real world the percentage was still estimated being somewhere between 42 and 46%, but the trend downward was clear. The Beta like the Human Female was an endangered species.

Schoolboys didn't generally care much about such things, but the Institute did. Even if the Betas were to die out or be assimilated into the Alpha/Omega dynamic in the next few generations, they deserved to live out their lives with the same respect as anyone else. That is why having these young men of all gender designations working and playing together was vital. They needed to know that the other genders were people too. That knowledge could not be felt by just reading a text book.

The teacher, Kanai-sensei arrived with a man in his late thirties. The students greeted the teacher and the visitor and settled down.

'Good day, Beta Class. I have here with me Sasaki Naoto-san, Sasaki Ichiro's father. We are here to talk to you while the boys visit the other two classes. They'll come see you right after. I hope we can keep your interest for half an hour.'

Sasaki Naoto bowed slightly and smiled at the boys.

'I wonder how many of you thought 'Why do I need to see and hear all this? Since there is so much important or fun stuff to do?' when being told to come here. Probably quite a few.'

He tilted his head and watched his audience twitching in silence for a few seconds.

'This may not be fun, but it could be important. It is important to understand how to deal with those whose biology is a little different. Because the fact is that human race has been split in genders. You will be getting to talk to young Alphas and Omegas soon, so I am not going to talk about what they are going through. Instead, I am going to tell you about the Alpha Who Loved Me.'

'We met on a stormy day in April, when I was seventeen. I sought refuge from the rain in a small cafe near the big park in the area often called 'Beta Village'...'

There were several nods in the crowd. Obviously many of them knew the park in question.

'There was only one other customer there. A young man in very expensive looking clothes. Now, being poor, I hated that type of people. I always felt they were looking down upon me and mine. My first instinct was to head to the other side of the small cafe and ignore the snob. But then he made a small sound. He was crying.'

Sasaki fell silent for a few seconds, obviously remembering the scene.

'I have often wondered how my life would have turned out, if I had not changed my mind and gone ask him if he was alright. Well, he wasn't. He said he'd ran away from home and didn't have any place to go. For some reason I offered my spare futon to the 'rich, alpha brat' without even thinking it twice.'

He chuckled softly.

'Mikorin stayed with me two weeks. He was strange about his privacy. Liked to boss everyone around, but he also listened to people and helped them. Well, helped them in the way he thought they should be helped. Not necessarily in the way the 'victims' would have preferred. He made my life so much more interesting.'

'At the time there the big news story was about Amano heiress having gone missing. Since she was 21 she was legally an adult. Most people thought she was acting up like the spoiled princess she was and should just go back home. During one of those discussions, I spoke the words that changed my destiny 'Maybe she had a reason.' Sometimes that's all it takes.'

Sasaki smiled at himself and ran his fingers though his hair.

'The next night I found myself pinned down by a beautiful woman. 'I've decided that you are mine', she said. You can imagine that was a shock. Honestly, I probably would not have resisted anyway, but when I saw her eyes, the puzzle pieces finally fit. The next morning she dragged me to the registration office and that is how a boring, beta, bookstore clerk ended up married to Amano Kamiko.'

The audience had heard, who their schoolmate's parents were, of course. But it had not totally hit them until now. Amano Kamiko had been famous or notorious activist working hard to abolish gender discrimination. Her methods had earned he the name 'The Alpha Bitch'.

'There have been some people asking me if I consider myself as a traitor to my species. The fact is that the female of the human species is dying out and so are Beta males. Is it sad? In some ways, yes. But as individuals we only die out if we leave no offspring. An offspring is always a combination of two people and will have characteristics of both. Secondary gender is just one of them. My son is an Alpha, but that does not make him any less my son. He still carries my genes, which he will hopefully pass on one of these days. Alpha is not a species, Omega is not a species and Beta is not a species. We are all part of the human species. If we weren't, we could not produce offspring together. So, no. By marrying an Alpha I did not betray my species, I contributed to it.'

'Kamiko was all that you have heard of, but also more. When she decided on a course, nothing would sway her. Whether it was a political agenda or love, she never stopped once she had decided. She was never afraid to show her emotions. Living with her was a roller-coaster ride. I loved her so much even when she made me want to tear my hair out.

The audience was quiet. They remembered that Amano Kamiko had died a few years back. Then someone started to clap their hands and the rest joined in until Kanai-sensei gave them the gesture to settle down.

'Thank you, Sasaki-san. I think the point of the story is that you should not call yourselves 'boring betas'. Everyone here is an interesting person in his own way. Do not sell yourselves short just because Alphas and Omegas get romanticized on the media.'

'Another important point is that love is not tied to the gender. When two people love they can be any mixture genders. The Alpha-Omega bond is not love, it is something that ties people together, but they could just as well hate each other or not really give a whit about each other except for one thing. When people are so lucky that they have both, they are almost guaranteed to live happily together until one of them dies. But it is ten thousand times better to have love without a bond than it is to have a bond without love.'

Kanai Souta did not really expect these young boys to take his words to heart now. But perhaps they would remember someday. One did have to try, after all. They might have been bored, but they were well-behaved. Too well-behaved.

'Where is Suzuki Kou?'


	15. The Omega Class

Chapter 15 

'Aren't you afraid of them? They are so big and strong and intimidating.'

This was among the questions Aki and Satoru had been expecting. They both smiled at the skinny first year boy and then each other.

'I guess I'll start. My mate, Ken, he is big and strong. You have not had the time to get to know him, but at our last school he was very popular. He has four younger brothers, but he was kind of an elder brother to everyone in class. They all depended on him to take care of them and solve problems. Especially the ones caused by the oldest of his younger brothers. I've never been afraid of Ken, but at point I was terrified he's leave me. I feared he'd not want an Omega, so I didn't tell him for months. It all turned out fine, but I really cannot recommend not telling your lover your gender.'

The crowd was quiet. They were puzzling over the words they had heard. Then the same bright, a little childish voice as before chirped in again.

'Does that mean you were lo..l..lovers even before you...?'

Satoru nodded. He should have known this question would come up at some point. His face felt hot.

'Yes. It does. We were lovers even before I presented. Again, not usually a good idea.'

'So, is it different after? And what about heats?'

Satoru paused for a moment trying to figure out the question. The kid must mean the actual sex part.

'The difference is a physiological one. Since you are all smart guys, I think you can figure out what is different about Beta and Omega down there. For the other part, I thinks that is a bit too personal and even if I could answer that, I would be very vague. But maybe Akira-san can help out here?

Aki just 'loved' Satoru at that point. He'd been put in a very embarrassing spot and it was hard to decide how much he should say. He cleared his throat.

'Well, lets start with the easy stuff. Big, strong and intimidating? Well, he is shorter than me, but he is strong. I know people find him unnerving at the first meeting and that will probably increase as he matures further. He can be very intimidating, but I know he's never use that against me. That he would instead use all his power to protect me. That makes him a sanctuary. Nee, Kaede-kun, do you agree?'

Everyone turned to look at their quiet schoolmate, who was sitting on a window sill drawing something, as usual. Kaede looked up and blushed.

'Ah. Well, he is a little bit scary. But not like I thought he would be. I think cousin Ichiro is a pretty decent guy. He is...also trying to help me with something complicated. And I am spending Summer leave with Akira-san and my cousin. So, I guess I am not scared. But I respect him. A lot.'

The class hummed. Most had had no idea that Amano and Sasaki were even talking to each other. Not letting them get sidetracked now that he had had time to think what to say Aki continued.

'As for being lovers before presentation, obviously not. Being lovers before mating is a bit more dubious. When I saw him, he was like a dream come true. And he had such a nice scent. So, I asked him to let me make love to him and he agreed.'

The class would have been a teacher's dream come true. Every single one of them was paying attention.

'Being there with him and doing those things triggered my heat. I tried to escape, since I wanted to protect him from serious consequences. But he woke up and grabbed my wrist. I don't know how to describe it the best. It was as if we were desperately trying just meld together, become a single being. The feeling I cannot put in words. Yet, somehow it got even better afterwards. Having an Alpha there for your heat is a great thing. But when it is an Alpha you are bonded to, an Alpha you are in love with and who is in love with you, it becomes something...else.'

Every single face in the room was awash with color. Including Aki's. Disclosing something that personal was frightening, but maybe it would help someone here to make a good decision at a later point of their life.

'There are so many heartbreaking stories about abuse and bad relationships. Be careful. Consider your options and make the best decisions you can. Loving and being loved is the core of us Omegas and I think in the core of all of us humans. We just thrive on love a little more.'

The rest of the questions were easier to answer. The kids wanted to know what their favorite things were and what they were planning to do in the future. Of course they also wanted autographs. For Aki that was not unusual, but Satoru found it weird. These were his schoolmates, his housemates, his friends and they wanted his name on a piece of paper. Who'd have ever known.


	16. The Alpha Class

Ken and Ichiro strode into the Alpha Dining Hall. They were immediately greeted by cheers and whistles.

'Hey Sasaki! Think your hot mate could introduce us to the other hottie from that film?'

This was starting well. Ichiro was prepared to answer a multitude of irritating or embarrassing questions, but this one he had not imagined.

'Ah. I don't think they are actually keeping in contact, so sorry.'

Ken was thankful that no-one was paying any attention to him at that point and that he kept himself from commenting. He'd been shocked to find out about the truth and maybe even more shocked that he had not noticed it at the time. Granted that his head had been filled with Satoru and that there were blue contact lenses and blond hair, but shouldn't he still have recognized his own brother? The laughter brought him back to reality.

'Of course it was fate. How else would a guy like me end up with someone as wonderful as Aki?'

Ichiro had changed, Ken reflected. Or was it more that he had been let out of a cage. No matter which, it amazed him that his friend could poke fun at himself publicly. 

'Though, more seriously...I don't know that other 'hottie', so I cannot speak for him. However, what I have learned in these past few days is that you really cannot judge a person by their looks or some one thing they have done in the past. It's kind of really hit me what they are trying to teach here. Stereotypes exist for a reason, but every person is an individual and should not be boxed in. Next question?'

'Kanai-san. Did you have other boyfriends before getting together with Kanai-san?'

Ken groaned internally, he was still touched by what his friend had just said. Now he had to deal with this. It was a small mercy that they had discussed this with Satoru, just to know how much to indulge.

'No. I actually did not. But we've been together since we were fourteen and best friends as far as I can remember. It should not be surprising. Hmm. I guess I should clarify that we did not have sex that young. Just kissing and holding hands. But we were 'boyfriends'.'

This was awkward. Ken was probably blushing. He wondered if Ichiro was dreading being asked something of the same vein. Again, his friend took him by surprise.

'As for me, I never had a boyfriend. That probably does not surprise you, since you dubbed me 'Ice Virgin' years ago.'

The class twitched uncomfortably. Maybe it was a little bit too much information, maybe they felt guilty for having called him that behind his back.

'Of course I could have had sex. Sex is on offer all the time. Feel free to pity me, but I just never met anyone who felt right. Or even right enough. Until last Friday. I know you guys want to know about that night.'

The class perked up immediately and Ichiro sighed. He had prcaticed this in his head many times.

'I am going to disappoint you now. I will not tell you the juicy details. Just some facts.'

The groans were almost amusing. Ichiro had control over his audience. That felt good.

' One: I was captivated by his scent first. Two: He took the initiative. Three: I was happy to comply. Four: We had sex. Twice. It was very nice. Five: The heat afterwards was a surprise. Six: I don't remember very much about that part. Seven: At some point it hit me that this is love, not a fling. Eight: I would not change a thing even if you gave me the world.'

The class sat quietly. Who needed details, they all had imaginations. Not a few faces had flustered during the matter of fact listing.

'Again without details, making love with the person in your heart is a most amazing thing.'

No-one seemed to be able to think of anything to say after that. Or at least they did not feel right asking about 'dirty' stuff after hearing this open confession of love. Finally one hand rose hesitantly.

'About children, are you really trying to have them now?'

'Ah. Yes. I should have mentioned that. That part I do remember from the first encounter with the heat. We've all heard about it, but it is true. At that moment the only thought in my head was 'Get pregnant'. That is something that could lead into a lot of problems, if you end up with the wrong person. I suppose I could give you a lecture on how this makes sense for the survival of the species and all that. But frankly, I don't care why I want children. I just do. Even now when my head is clear of pheromones.'

Much of that probably went over their heads. Regular, un-mated high school students did not think about having babies. Not in a positive light at least. Ken cleared his throat.

'As you have heard, Satoru and I plan on graduating from college first. So for us that is in the future. What I would like to remind you now is that we are lucky exceptions. While quite a few people bond around the age of 18-20, a lot of others wait much longer. The average age of bonding is twenty-six. So, don't get discouraged if you don't have someone special yet. Enjoy your school life, get to know a lot of people.'

'And also one more thing...Even though bonding can bring out certain qualities in a person, the actual person doesn't really change. We still want to have fun with our friends too. Give new mates a bit of time to get used to things and they will return. You do not lose your friend simply because they find a mate. It depends on how you react to it.'

Finally the bell rang.The students filed out. Ken and Ichiro remained behind. They looked at each other, clearly worn out by the ordeal. 'Ichiro-san, did we just sound like old men?' 'Yes, Ken-san. I think we did.' They burst in laughter simultaneously. 


	17. Beware What You Wish For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place at the same time as the the classes after the TV-show.

Suzuki Kou was sure he was dying. His temperature had gone up last night and his throat had been sore. Now he was coughing and sneezing between bouts of fever. He glanced at the clock 11:36 a.m.  
He needed to get up right now and get to class. The Student Council Secretary did not miss classes.

He got on his feet and shrank back on the bed immediately. His insides were burning. His abdomen was aching. The pain ebbed and flowed with every breath and spread all over his lower body. His left thigh felt like something was gnawing the bone, but the right one was just weak. His head was hurting and his eyes watered as if the light coming from the window was too much for them. 

His genitals ached too. How troublesome to get aroused while having the flu. He touched himself. It felt good, but in aftershock his abdomen contracted violently making him curl up in a ball. Something warm slid from inside of him. First he thought he had soiled himself, but the smell was not right. In fact, it smelled rather pleasant. Warm, sticky, sweet smelling stuff leaking from the ass. NO. NO. NO. Unacceptable.

'Nooo...nooo. No...'

He was weeping now, which made his nose run. Totally miserable and completely aroused both front and back, he tried to find some relief using his both hands. It was helping but not enough. Sobbing and panting he kept trying. 

A key turned in the lock and the door cracked open. Then it opened more and shut fast. Someone was in his room. His throat hurt but he had to try to talk reason.

'Stay away, please, go I cannot...Stay away, stay, stay, stay...'

The person in the room wrapped a blanket around Kou and then held the twitching and shivering youth in his arms. 

'Hush. It'll be alright. The janitor called me. Don't be afraid, I'm an Omega too.'

The boy's eyes flew open. His expression was filled with horror. His final judgment had arrived in the form of a simple word 'too'. He whimpered and the man stroke his hair gently. This was not what he had wanted when he'd not wanted to be a boring person. This was worse than being just a Beta.

'We'll talk tomorrow. Just rest now, Suzuki. You are safe.'

The voice was familiar, the face too somehow. Oh. No glasses. That is why.

'Kanai- sensei...'

'Hush, young one. Help will be here soon. Tomorrow morning we'll talk.'

Suzuki went totally stiff. Help? If he was actually in heat, and there was no reasonable cause to deny it, what was this help? His mind was panicking thinking they might be bringing in an Alpha, but his body felt the opposite way.

'Medical help, little one. No-one is going to hurt you.'

A gentle, soft scent like newly washed sheets soothed him and he fell asleep.

….........

It was quiet. He was breathing pretty normally and there wasn't any pain. He held his breath, enjoying the moment. Then he opened his eyes. Hospital room. He had an IV attached to his left arm and his heartbeats showed on a screen next to his head.

The door opened and a nurse in a gray AOBI uniform came in carrying a tray of western style breakfast. His stomach growled for the food.

'Good morning, Suzuki-san. Kanai-san has been informed and he will arrive in about 15 minutes. Allow me to take this IV off and you can visit the bathroom, if you need.'

The needle left his arm effortlessly and the small wound was quickly covered in gauze and taped over. 

'Thank you. I will go to the bathroom then.'

When he returned the breakfast was waiting for him. He sat on his bed, used the buttons to adjust his position and started to eat slowly. The fruit juice was delicious.

'Good morning, Suzuki-kun. Glad to see you so lively. How are you feeling?'

Kanai-sensei had arrived. With him arrived the memories of yesterday. Suzuki Kou groaned.

'I feel...uh..strangely normal, I guess. I thought I had caught the flu.'

Kanai-sensei sat on the visitor chair next to Suzuki's bed. He studied the patient for a few seconds.

'Well, that is partially right. It was not the flu, but rather a bacterial infection in your throat and nose that caused the high fever. The antibiotics seem to be working very well, but you'll still need to take them for six more days. You were also given extra strength suppressants and those seem to be working fine as well. Unless you are having heat symptoms?'

Suzuki Kou, seventeen years of age and Omega, shook his head and then let it hang.

'Good. You will stay here for a few days until everything is stabilized. When presentation is delayed past 15 or 16, the first heat usually hits hard. You also had complications from your sickness to deal with, so next time should be easier.'

The talk of heats made Suzuki embarrassed and his face turned pink. It was good news that it would not be as bad next time, but there would be next time. He nodded that he had understood. 

'So, what do you want to do next? Do you want your things moved into a new room in the Omega Dorm?'

'I...I cannot go there. They must all hate me. I would...just die.'

'Hmmm. Yes, you have been quite troublesome, haven't you? If you wish you can continue staying in the same room you currently do. You will need to be careful and follow the instructions on how to use suppressants. If you do as told, you can remain with the Betas until you are discovered.'

'Thank you, Kanai-sensei. I think I prefer that. Only, how do I explain my absence?'

'You don't have to worry about that. You've been suspended for a week for speaking the way you did about Sasaki Akira. Calling someone you don't even know a slut and a toy is quite inappropriate.'

The name had said nothing to Suzuki, but when his comment was repeated to him he made the connection. He looked down.

'Well, I am sure Sasaki will forgive you in time. But from now on, do try not to be so prejudiced. Not all Alphas are monsters, not all Betas are boring and not all Omegas are door mats.'

Kanai-sensei reached out to ruffle the youth's hair.

'You are not either of your parents. They had a very unfortunate and twisted relationship. But that is not genetic. Make sure you make better choices, Suzuki-kun.'

Kanai Souta headed back to his office. This was going to be interesting. This kid was so troublesome, but given his background it was understandable. Still his heart ached for the Suzuki kids, both Kou and Keiji, the younger brother still in middle school. The best he could do for them was assure they got a good education and offer counseling. 

...........

A week later, the Student Council Secretary, Suzuki Kou was back. He was as acerbic and abrasive as ever, but the use of actual slurs had lessened to almost nothing. The students assumed the suspension had worked and that the guy was actually worried about being kicked out. He became even more obsessive about the School Council and hardly ever spoke to anyone unless it was council business. Those few who tried were sent packing with a tongue lashing.


	18. Passing the Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First introduction of a character that shows up in the 2nd Season.  
> Next chapter will be something...different.

A week after the TV-show life at school started to settle. The first few days the three 'stars' had been approached with all sorts of questions, but eventually the crowd was content that they did not have new answers. They still drew more attention than they would have wanted, but for the most part they were not left to keep their own company.

The main attention of the student body was now the soccer season. AOBI did reasonably well in the regionals, but no-one expected anyone other than the two sports academies to win. They were out of everyone else's league taking turns at the national title. But the third place was up for grabs.

The captain of the soccer team, Maeda Mitsuo, was an Omega. The other schools were appalled by the idea or thought it was just a sick joke. They usually bypassed the captain and turned to the Alpha vice-captain, Ito Tomoyuki, instead. The latter was more pissed about it than the first. He was also annoyed that most people seemed to assume that they were an item.

'Doesn't it bother you that they treat you like that?'

'Well, it does but it doesn't. We get used to being treated as useless, so we expect nothing else. I guess that is the part that bothers me. But on the other hand, being underestimated can be useful. As long as our team appreciates me, what does it matter what our rivals think?'

The team more than appreciated their captain. He was smart, tenacious and friendly. He was also very fast and skilled with the ball. He led by example and the rest tried to best him. When they did, he praised them and they preened. Half the team was probably in love with the captain.

'I guess. So, are you going to charm these middle school boys into joining next year?'

'No. That is your job. You'll be the captain next year. And you are the kind of a hero they expect. I am just there to show the Omegas and Betas that they too can play.'

Maeda was graduating this year and so was a third of the team. They needed fresh blood. Ito watched the kids in their middle school uniforms lining the field. They started their presentation.

An hour later, Ito was finally able to extract himself from the young admirers. Maeda had left earlier saying he was going to the lavatory, so Ito headed that way too. He stopped when he saw Maeda talking to a kid in the hallway.

'...next of kin, so they sent it to me. My nii-san has presented as Omega.'

'It doesn't have to be a bad thing anymore, you know. Talk to him about it?'

'I can't. He doesn't know I know and he is pretending it is not true.'

'Ah. He has that right. The best you can do now it to keep talking to him about ordinary things. If he shies away from meetings or even phone calls, try e-mail or text messages. He has a lot of adjusting to do, so having something that does not change is good. Are you worried that he will change too?'

'A little.'

'He will, but just a little. He is not going to turn into some stranger. He'll still be the the same brother you love. It'll be okay.'

Ito walked up to the captain with a slightly forced smile. He was still a little uncomfortable with that kind of talks. But that is something he needed to learn for next year. To support the team even with personal problems should they come talk to him.

'Hey Captain. We should get going. Practice starts soon.'

'Yeah. Hey, kid, come watch the match Saturday?'

'Of course, Captain Maeda and Ito-san. I like soccer a lot.'

They walked in silence for a bit. 

'Do people always come to you with their problems?'

'Pretty much. Does Ito-san have a problem?'

'Many. But mostly I am worried about next year. I cannot be like you.'

'Baka. You don't need to be me. You just need to be you. But I'll still be there for you, if you need help. I am just going to the Uni over there.'

Ito looked to the hill where Maeda was pointing. AOBI Uni main building looked over the three campuses. He'd probably go there himself the year after.

'Thanks. I may need advice on how to handle the Omegas.'

'Really? You're handling me just fine. I don't see why you'd have problems with the others. Just treat them as individuals. Hmm. Unless you are looking for romantic advice?'

'Baka! Hey, you know they seem to think we are dating...'

'Yeah. I know. It makes my life easier, but if it bothers you, I'll set things straight.'

'It kinda works for me too. I can concentrate on school and soccer.'

Maeda smiled at his kohai. He was a good guy, just a maybe tiny bit too serious. Strangely the guy did not seem to have a clue how popular he was. Maeda kind of liked that about Ito.

'Lets jog the rest of the way. Warm up.'


	19. Welcome Home!

Late May weather was getting hotter. Summer Leave was still long way away, but nature did not follow school syllabus. Neither did the bodies of Omegas, Satoru reflected when he found that his heat had come a week early.

It was quite inconvenient, but also exhilarating. This would be his first time with an Alpha partner. Not just any partner either. His best childhood friend, his first crush, his first boyfriend, his first lover and his Alpha, Ken. They had bonded and were officially married as well. They had been lovers for years, but this the first time for them both.

Satoru started nesting. He was humming happily as he collected all the pillows, including the couch cushions, and dragged them to the bed. It was better to do this while he was still just excited about what was ahead. In a few hours, he'd be desperate. He built a veritable fortress of pillows around the bed and stocked the bedroom fridge with water bottles. He probably should have asked what Ken would like to drink. They had talked about their expectations, but food and drink had been forgotten. Food. They'd need energy. Shakes and bars...

Phone. Where was his phone? He needed to call and order things to be delivered. No phone anywhere. Tears of frustration welled from his eyes. He kept looking for the phone without luck. Laptop! Yes, order online. Quarter an hour later he had sent his order to Omega Deliveries, the only safe way someone in heat could get things home. Any other company could send a Beta or an Alpha.

Alpha. He needed one. The one. Not just anyone. He needed his mate. Here and now. WHERE IS THAT PHONE? Satoru wanted to cry. The apartment wasn't big and it was not messy. How could his phone hide? It was new and nice and had all sorts of apps. It was handy reading e-mail when not home. Back to the laptop. E-mail Ken. E-mail Sota-papa. 

This was getting bad. Having been off suppressants since the day after the wedding reception, he knew this heat would hit full strength. He was already sweating and his muscles were starting to ache. A lower back rub would be so nice. He tried it himself, but there was no way to get enough pressure. Alpha, come home. 

Half dazed Satoru wandered into the bathroom. Far too many clothes on him. Take off. No time to find hamper, floor is fine. What is that there? A towel and a bathrobe. Ken's scent. He dragged them with him to the nest and curled around them burying his nose in the soft fabric. Just as he was starting relax a tiny bit an annoying beeping sound came from somewhere near. He burrowed under the pillow, took out the offensive object and pushed a green button. He could hear Ken's voice!

'Ken..Alpha...Come home. Heat. Lost my phone.'

Satoru could not understand why his Alpha was laughing. He sniffed sadly.

'I am sorry, my sweet Satsuma. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. But how do you think you are talking to me?'

'On the phone.'

Oh. He was holding the missing phone. He chuckled, but then the first real wave hit. Panting and shivering he whimpered. 

'Need Alpha. My Ken.'

'Sweet Omega, I'm on my way. Ten minutes. But I have to hang up. Just wait for me.'

Satoru was alone again, but at least there was the bathrobe.

Don't run. Walk. Ken repeated the directions he'd been given. He wanted to reach Satoru as soon as possible, but he had been advised that it was better not to arrive in an agitated state. The pheromones did not need any extra adrenaline.

They had been together for so long, even been lovers for years now. He shouldn't be this nervous, but it felt like he was going to get rid of his virginity for a second time and this time on purpose. The whole concept of heat was intimidating. It wasn't just the expected 3-7 day endurance competition, but also that never having been exposed to the full effect of heat pheromones, he feared how badly he'd lose control. For the first time ever he considered if it had been better not to have fallen in love so early, if it had been better to gain experience with casual partners first. Probably not. 

There was a strange man just stopping at the front door. Every hair on Ken's neck stood straight up and his gaze darkened. Then the scent and the uniform registered in his brain: Omega Deliveries. Satoru must have made preparations.

'Hold it!'

The deliveryman turned to the voice. His eyes widened and he shivered. Ken winced. He'd either put too much force in the command or he was just looking like he was out of control. Or both.

'Ah. That's our place. No need to ring the doorbell. I can take that box.'

'I need some identification, please.'

Of course Ken had an identity card in his wallet. But he was not exactly thinking straight at this moment. It did not feel like it it had anything to do with the cardboard box, it felt like this stranger, this omega, was challenging his right to get to his own mate.

'Look...Would you be asking for identification if you had rang that bell and I had opened that door naked and pissed?'

'Uh.'

The nervous fellow shook his head. It was presumed that the person opening the door was authorized to accept the delivery when the value did not exceed a certain amount. This small package of food was nowhere near that limit. Ken took out his keys and opened the door. He stepped inside and turned to face his adversary.

'Now. Lets skip the irritating ding-dong and the naked part. Thank you for the delivery.'

The poor guy was now shaking violently giving out distress signals. He handed over the box carefully avoiding eye contact. Then he retreated slowly. Ken was not a person to enjoy causing fear in people and he felt a little sorry. Maybe he could have a tip sent over to that guy next week. Now that he had won the challenge, he felt better. He looked at the package contents: Energy bars and canned shakes.

Ken closed the door. There was a mouthwatering scent in the air. He turned around to get a better whiff and gasped. The living room couch had been stripped bare. There was neither cushion nor pillow to be seen. That was not a priority right now.

He tried to recall the instructions Ichiro had given over the phone. 'Relax as much as you can, make sure to go to use the toilet when you can and get naked before entering the bedroom.' He could do the last two at least. He took off his jacket, tie and pants and placed them neatly on the couch. Then he went into the bathroom and follower the instructions to the letter. Once his clothes were in the hamper, he looked around for his bathrobe but it had disappeared and so had his towel. He shrugged and opened the bathroom door that led to the bedroom.

Hey, Satoru. Have you seen my robe?'

Everyone of his five senses was attacked. The scent was so sweet, so think that he could actually taste it on his tongue, the room was a little too cool making him shiver. The mystery of the couch was solved, the bed had turned into a nest of pillows and other soft things. In the middle of the nest was the most delectable thing he'd ever seen. Naked Satoru half wrapped in his bathrobe whimpering softly. Ken pounced.

It didn't take many seconds for their bodies to entangle. This was the main event they had spent over three years practicing for and it was more than they had imagined. Their desperate need for each other was tempered with love and their experience with each others' bodies saved them from fumbling frustrations. It was wild, passionate and just the way it was meant to be. Bound together by the knot they used their hands, tongues and teeth to bring their upper bodies up to bar. Once their worst thirst was temporarily sated they stared into each others eyes lovingly.

'Tadaima.'

'Okaeri.'


	20. Double Date

'I know you are disappointed.'

Ichiro pulled his mate closer and buried his nose in Aki's neck for a bit. Then he moved his hand from the shoulder to the nape and massaged the gland there gently.

'Aki, I am not disappointed in you. I am disappointed that we are not having a child yet. But it is neither of ours fault. It was just the first try too.'

The young Alpha meant exactly what he said. He was still surprised by how much he wanted a son. He considered himself too young to want it so much and he had sort of presumed that only Omegas graved children outside the time when the Alphas' every instinct was hellbent on nothing but impregnation. As much as he wanted a child, he wanted Aki more.

'We have plenty of time. We are both young. Hush...I know you are older, but you're only 24. Our family will grow in time. If you need to feel sad, of course you can. Just don't forget that you are my most important person. My mate, my Omega, my Aki. I hope that we'll be sitting together like this sixty years from now enjoying the early Summer sun and ice-cream.'

Ichiro reached out to scoop some peach flavored ice-cream from Aki's bowl and offered the spoonful to his mate. His mate's amazing sweetness always tugged his heart. Aki let his mouth open and the cold, sweet treat met with his taste buds.

'Besides, unlike the popular culture would lead us believe, the actual probability of impregnation on the first try is less than 25% and taking into account all other things even less. The probability...'

The sentence was cut off with a kiss. Aki had already discovered that his Alpha could be as romantic as any movie character and he loved that. However, when Ichiro started to talk about statistics, it was just so him that Aki couldn't resist.

'You two know that this is a public place?'

The seated couple broke off and looked up to see another pair of young men standing next to the table. Ken and Satoru were grinning at their friends. They slid onto the opposing bench of the booth.

'Ah. Took your time. So, you have survived then?'

Ichiro had this dry tone he used to cover up his sense of humor from strangers. His friends, however, knew all too well he was joking about them. Both blushed in matching tones, they knew Ichiro was referring to their first shared heat last week.

'Yeah. Obviously. Though...Thanks for all the support.'

Ken didn't wait for a response before lifting his hand and calling out for the waiter. A fit looking young man in a sky blue shirt, black pants and a white frilly apron arrived in seconds. Ken and Ichiro glanced at each other. Neither of them would have ever worn that apron.

'How can I be of assistance?'

'I'd like the 'mocha dream' and a little coffee. Satoru? The usual or something else? And anyone else want coffee or tea or something?'

'Raspberry cheesecake and a small coffee as well, please.'

'Aki and I will have just green tea, please.'

'Mocha Dream, Raspberry Cheescake, two coffees and two teas? Tadaima.'

The waiter departed swiftly after having checked that the order was correct. His face was flushed. He hated the stupid apron he had to wear, but the owner was adamant. 'No apron, no work.' No work meant no money and that was not an option. Of course it could have been worse. Some of the workers wore cat ears or dresses from bygone era. Still, he felt especially humiliated having been seen by AOBI students. But luckily he did not recognize the three men's faces, so they probably did not play soccer.

'Fujita, wake up!'

He took the tray to the table and served the customers with a polite smile. Only ten more months, he told himself. Ten months of school, work and soccer. Then university. But first he needed to make it that far, while keeping his three secrets.

The three AOBI students and Aki finished their treats, paid the bill and left a little tip. Then they walked out of the 'Three Sweet Beans' cafe.

'What should we do next? There is still an hour before we need to go to the movie theater?'

The answers were left waiting when Ken's phone began to play a Tarotora song. It meant the call was from home. Ken moved a bit away from the rest not to make them wait for the call to end silently. They still could not help hearing his half of the conversation.

'He did what?'

'But why?'

'You're sure I am not needed? Really?'

'I love you too, Papa. Tell the kids we'll come there for a while over Summer leave.'

Ken put the phone in his pocket and walked back. The three were clearly curious and Ken really wanted to vent.

'Mattaku that brother of mine. He's apparently gone nuts and pretty much totaled a classroom at the old school. It is not like him, usually he is in trouble with weeping confessors.'

'That would be Kazu-kun?'

'Yes, Satoru. Of course. Papa said he wants me to stay out of it. Apparently Kazu has a plan to pay for the damages himself. I suppose that is something.'

'Taking responsibility is a good thing. Kazu-kun is a good guy. He is just too impulsive and stubborn. And too charming for his own good.'

Satoru hugged his mate in spite of the looks they got from people disliking Public Display of Affecion. He felt Ken's frustration melting away slowly.

'Lets walk to the theater. We won't be that early. And I want popcorn.'

Aki had been rather quiet all the time, but in the last quarter of hour he had barely spoken. Ichiro gave his mate a speculative look and sniffed his neck.

'Ah. I am sorry but we need to get home now. Aki, give me the keys, I'll drive.'

The two walked fast towards the parking lot disappearing between the parked vehicles. Ken and Satoru were left too suddenly for even goodbyes. They looked puzzled for a while, then Satoru had an idea.

'Ah. Maybe it is his heat.'

That would explain the strange behavior. The two looked at each other and the coloring of their cheeks gave away what they were thinking.

'But we'll go to see the film first.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story arch ends in a few chapters at the end of the school term and continues as ['Undercover Work'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9277163) next term. Among other things what exactly was going on with Ken's brother Kazu unfolds there. I hope some of you will want to read more. :)


	21. Kanai Family Planning

A month after their first shared heat, Ken woke up to Satoru's muffled sobs. The Omega was trying to be quiet, not to disturb his mate with this ridiculous thing, but he could not stop weeping. He felt like a complete failure for the first time in his life.

'Satoru...What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?'

Satoru shook his head and continued weeping. He shirked away from Ken's touch, which had never happened before. Ken was feeling close to tears himself, not just over the rejection but also the helplessness he was experiencing.

'Satoru, please, have I hurt you somehow? Please, talk to me.'

'Order me.'

'What?'

'Order me, Alpha, please.'

Ken had rarely used his 'voice' and most of those times had been to reel in his happy-go-lucky, hard-headed brother Kazu. He'd never even imagined using it on Satoru who, as an Omega in general and as his bonded mate in particular, was extremely susceptible to such commands. But Satoru was crying and pleading. Ken sat up and propped himself against his pillow before releasing his scent in full force. Even he himself could now smell it, so it had to be overpowering to his mate.

**'Omega, come here. Sit on my lap.'**

_'Yes, Alpha.'_

The reply came without hesitation, between two sobs and the warm, shivering body followed immediately. It hurt Ken to see this, but he couldn't leave Satoru sobbing disconsolately either.'

**'Rest your head on my shoulder and try to relax.'**

_'Yes, Alpha.'_

Ken wrapped his arms gently around his mate, holding him close. Satoru went rigid in his embrace.

**'Omega, do you hate my touch that much?'**

_'No, Alpha. I am not worthy.'_

This was now not only painful, it was starting to get scary. Satoru never talked like that. He never had any reason to feel unworthy.

'You are worthy, Satoru. You are the light of my life. I love you.'

No response save maybe a little gap in the breathing. Ken had to try again using that voice this time.

**'You are worthy. You are a good Omega.'**

_'Not a good omega. Empty. No baby.'_

Ken held Satoru tighter and rocked them both slowly back and forth. He'd read about this, but had never imagined it would be so extreme. There had never been even a chance of impregnation, they had both been on very efficient contraceptives. But Satoru's body did not understand such things. His hormones were telling him that the heat had failed. The suicide rates of raped Omegas about a month after the fact made sense now.

**'Good Omega. That is how it should be. Not a safe time to have a baby.'**

Complicated explanations would have been redundant at this time. Ken was talking directly to a very primitive part of Satoru.

**'When it is safe, we will have a baby. A beautiful baby. I...Alpha promises.'**

_'Alpha promises?'_

**'Yes. Alpha promises. You are a good Omega. Try to sleep now.'**

Whether it was the last command or simply the fact that Satoru had to be exhausted now that he'd calmed down Ken did not know. But in a couple of minutes his mate's breathing told him that he was safely asleep. He sat there holding his sleeping mate for several minutes. He reached for his phone and left a message to Kanai Sota at 3:48 a.m.

At 8 a.m. sharp the phone rang. The only reason Ken knew he'd even slept was because it woke him up. Satoru was still deep asleep, even the annoying beeping had not disturbed him. He looked so adorable. Ken wiggled out carefully and went to the kitchen to talk with his Papa-in-Law.

'Yes. I can talk now. I think it was Post Heat Syndrome. He would not stop crying. I had to command him.'

'You're a good man, Ken. And a good Alpha. Hold on a second, please...'

Ken's heart was still aching over the events of last night. Hearing those words did soothe him though.

'Alright. Prepare to serve us tea. We'll be there in about half an hour. We'll bring the rest of the breakfast. And I'll take the emergency medical kit too, just in case. One second...Wataru wants coffee. You have it?'

'Yes. We have coffee. That good one he gave us.'

'Good. Until we ring the doorbell then.'

Sighing Ken put away the phone. He checked on Satoru and found him still asleep. Smiling in his sleep, actually. He took the fastest possible shower and got dressed. Then he started to wake up his mate.

'Good morning, Satoru. Your father and Sota-papa are on their way here.'

Satoru made a small, sleepy noise, but opened his eyes. He looked tired, but normal.

'Good morning, Ken. What did you say?'

'We have guests arriving very soon. Take a quick shower while I get everything ready.'

Satoru took a shower and got dressed. He wondered why they were coming so early on a Sunday morning. He supposed he'd find out soon and they'd probably bring something delicious from home. He missed their chef's cooking. 

When Satoru wandered into the combined living room and kitchen, everything was ready. The table was set for four, there was hot water ready at the stove and all things were in their right places. Ken seemed unusually quiet and subdued, but Satoru had no time to find out why for the visitors arrived. His father immediately hugged him and asked him if he was alright. 

'I am fine. Please, come sit. To what do we owe this honor of such an early visit?'

They sat around the table. Sota-papa started to unload delicacies from the cooler and Ken was making tea and coffee. Kanai Wataru looked at his son carefully.

'Because of last night. Do you not remember?'

'Remember? I had a nightmare, but...'

'What was your nightmare about, Satoru?'

This was not a good topic. He really did not want to say what his dream had been about, but he knew his father would not relent.

'I was all alone. I had buried all of you and all of my children. I knew it was not my fault, but I knew that if there were any people at all left in the world, they would blame me for it. So alone, so hollow. I could not understand why I was even still alive.'

Wataru looked completely aghast and Kanai Sota closed his eyes to hide the tears rimming his eyes. His voice was very soft and compassionate when he spoke.

'Satoru, I am sorry you had to go though that. The nightmare was only a part of it. Your hormones went in a bit of an overdrive. You had PHS.'

'But...We weren't even trying to have a baby. In fact we were trying not to have a baby and I was never pregnant.'

'You know that. But your body does not. It got desperate when it could not find a baby it had prepared for. It happens to everyone, but usually it is just a 'I don't feel so good today' or bursting in tears over something trivial. The syndrome usually goes away after having one child, but there is also medication for it. I think you should take the medication for now and then reconsider whether to continue to wait.'

'We'll wait until it is safe to have a baby.'

Ken flinched at those words. Was Satoru just repeating his commands now? It was not that they weren't safe, actually. It would just make concentrating on the studies much harder if they had a family. Especially for Satoru. They needed to have a long talk later. He server tea to himself and Sota-papa and coffee to father and Satoru, before sitting down himself.

'It does not need to be decided today. But, please, take the medication, Satoru.'

'Of course, Ken. I am sorry for being so troublesome.'

Ken reached out to touch his mate's hand, but stopped startled when Sota suddenly got up and disappeared to the toilet. Wataru excused them both and followed after his mate. The young couple looked at each other confused.

'I have no clue either. But I was going to say that I love you, Satoru. I don't want to ever relive last night, but if it is for you, I will.'

'I love you too, Ken.'

Ken smiled and took Satoru's hand in his. He held it like it was a precious, breakable thing and stroked the back of the hand with his thumb. Time stood still for a while. Then they smiled and returned to being young men.

'Itadakimasu!'

The food was just as delicious as one could expect from a professional chef. They ate in silence until the older men joined them at the table.

Kanai Wataru, the head of the Kanai family as well as the Chairman of the Board of Kanai Industries did not usually have a problem saying exactly what he wanted, but this time the words were trying to stick in his throat.

'Ah. Well, this is probably not the best time for this. But you've already probably guessed anyway. We're having a baby.'

They had not guessed thought they probably should have. It just had not occurred to them that was something that might happen. It wasn't that they thought the older couple was too old, after all Sota was only thirty-four. They just had not considered that they might want to have children together.

'Sugoi! I am finally going to have a little brother!'


	22. Vacation Plans Suck

The last week of the term was supposedly fun. The finals were over, the classes were more casual and often held outside. It was getting very hot. They said it was the hottest July in fifteen years. The school reacted by changing the dress code. It was now permitted to leave off the jacket and the tie or even wear the sports uniform, shorts and t-shirt, everywhere. Those on teams wore their respective uniforms and often hung in packs. Other students gravitated towards them. The Omegas were making themselves ridiculous panting after the hot Alphas. The Omega team members probably had their admirers too, but they were so heavily guarded by the rest of their team that few would even dare to think of talking to them. The Betas joined in the stupid games.

It irritated Suzuki Kou immensely. He avoided purposefully looking at the too exposed bodies, which meant he was staring at the ground most of the time. He insisted on wearing proper attire and would not even loosen his tie. He was hot, grumpy and sullen. Unlike the rest of the students, he was not looking forward to the leave. Of course, he liked lazy breaks just as much as any other boy, but this time he would have to face his heat again. It would be his second time. Thankfully his little brother had been invited to spend two weeks with the family of one of his friends in Hawaii. Normally Suzuki would have protested, but now it was perfect. He didn't want his brother to find out what he'd turned out to be.

Suzuki was still muttering words not exactly suitable for a Student Council Secretary, when his forehead met with something solid. The obstacle turned out to be someone in the soccer team. The someone politely apologized even if the bump was Suzuki's fault and that made his temper boil over.

'Aho. Watch where you're going sports moron. Have you got nothing better to do than stand there like a stupid tree trunk? I hate idiots. Stay out of the way unless you want a kick in the balls!'

He stormed away knowing full well he'd been in the wrong and that what he had said hadn't made much sense. But at least he'd not called the guy Aho-Alpha this time. It was not just a guess that the moron was an Alpha, though there were enough Beta's and even some Omegas in the teams that he could have been either. But that guy was an Alpha of that Suzuki did not have even the slightest of doubts. 

Suzuki stalked towards the pool and people gave way. They usually did. No-one wanted to handle the angry bundle of burrs also known as the Secretary. Especially not when he was looking like a storm cloud. The Beta locker room was nearly empty, but most of the lockers were in use. The one he usually used had been snatched by some idiot too. Figured. He slammed the locker door harder than needed.

After two hours of swimming, Suzuki felt much better. True, it was annoying that the pool was so full, but at least there were two tracks reserved especially for those who actually wanted to swim. There hadn't been many actively training on such a hot day. Briefly he wondered what it would have been like to be among those noisy, rambunctious fellows just playing in the water, but there was no sense to dwell on such things. He had better things to do than splash around.

The naked bodies in the showers did not bother him when the ones covered in t-shirts and shorts outside did. He supposed it was mostly because they were supposed to be there, because it was normal in such a place. Then the awful thought hit him. What if it was because they were Betas? Still, on reflection, he'd been oblivious even when his obvious choice for a lover would have been a Betaboy.

What kind of a moron goes to the sauna when the heat outside is over 30°C? The Student Council Secretary for one did. But he wasn't the only one. In the far corner sat a boy, his knees pulled to his chest and his head resting on his knees. He was sobbing. How annoying. Suzuki wasn't going to ask if the guy was alright that would have been stupid.

'Umh. What's wrong?'

'Nothing.'

'It is stupid to cry over nothing. Are you an idiot?'

The boy huffed and the sobs continued.

'Seriously, has someone hurt you? Do you need help?'

'Nowancnhlp'

'What?'

'I said: No-one can help!'

Irritated more with himself than the other guy, Suzuki sat quietly for a couple of minutes. He felt idiotic getting involved but just couldn't leave this guy here in such a state. He did not know it himself and the Beta could not smell, but the Omega started to emit calming pheromones. While Betas did not scent pheromones like the other two designations, they were not unaffected by them. The scents in the air they could not sense worked on a subconscious level.

'My lover left me.'

'Oh. That must be rough. What an idiot.'

'I hate Omegas.'

Suzuki stopped breathing for a moment. Had his secret been revealed? Or did this have something to do with this stupid guy's ex-lover?

'Umh. Why?'

'He said he didn't want to see me anymore. Because he was going to look for an Omega. I wasn't even good enough to...until he finds one.'

'Baka. I am sure you hurt now, but wouldn't that have been even worse?'

'Worse?'

'Yeah. What if he had found someone and then come tell you that you'd been replaced and no longer needed. I'm sure your ex is a complete asshole, but yeah...still better to be honest upfront, I think.'

'I still hate those flirty, boyfriend stealing, omega sluts.'

Suzuki sighed. This guy might not even know he was talking to the Secretary and he certainly did not know he was talking to an Omega. Suzuki was used to being hated for many things, but a potential 'boyfriend stealing slut' was a new one.

'It may not be my place to say, but if anyone is at fault in this it is that idiot Alpha.'

'I hate Alphas too. They tell pretty lies and then run off.'

'Yeah. I really have to leave now. But if you need someone to talk to and I mean just another student, go see the Student Council. There are people there who listen and never reveal your secrets.'

Suzuki was not proud of himself running away like that, but he probably would have said something he'd have regretted had he stayed. He took the fastest possible shower and dressed in record time to avoid seeing the stranger again. Still the vehemence of the words remained with him and he kept repeating to himself: _'I am not a slut. Not a slut. Not.'_ Neither did he intend to steal anyone's lover. His only boyfriend was the battery operated 'Knothead' vibrator that was waiting for a first date once the heat hit. The thing had had good reviews, so he had bought, not stolen, it. Looking at the thing was somewhat nauseating. He was supposed to stuff that big, stupid, distorted thing in his butt. It was also a very unattractive shade of pea soup. 

He was so not looking forward to the Summer Leave.


	23. Sunshowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be the penultimate chapter. Please, remember that the story continues in Part 2: Undercover Work. I really hope that you have enjoyed this story so far and that you will like the new people joining in in the next part. They are there waiting for you already.

'Kaede-kun, are you packed? Aki will be here soon.' 

Sasaki Ichiro's voice carried all the way to the second floor of the Omega Dorm. As an Alpha he could not set a foot inside, but he could yell from the front door. A bit too well by the expressions of two young Omegas sitting in the hall.

Kaede grabbed his bags and his supplies. He took a quick look around and locked the door. His roommate had already left the day before. Summer Leave. Finally!

'Here I am, Ichiro-san! Thank you for inviting me!'

Ichiro ruffled his cousin's hair. It was nice to have more family. Kaede was such a nice boy too. The only problem was that he got too absorbed in his drawing sometimes. Kaede was a nice boy, but some of his manga made Ichiro blush. 

Aki drove up to the dorm door. Ichiro and Kaede loaded the luggage in the trunk and took their seats in the car. Ichiro in the front next to his mate and Kaede in the back. Kaede sniffed the air. There was something peculiar about the scent in the car. He kept sniffing until he saw through the review mirror that Aki-san was watching him with an amused smile on his lips.

'You can smell it then, Kaede-kun?'

'I smell something...I feel I should know it, but I don't.'

'It is nothing to worry about. Lets go home, Hajime and Ren are waiting with lunch.'

Hajime was Nakamura-san, a friend of Aki-san's and Ren was Nakamura's five year old son. Kaede enjoyed the bright and lively little boy. It would be fun to play with the kid again. He'd also be able to draw a lot. Even if there was quite a hefty amount of homework to complete, he'd still have time for fun things too.

Lunch was an understated name for this meal. It was more like a feast. The reason became obvious shortly after they had all settled around the table and Ichiro held a short speech.

'Welcome Summer! Welcome Kaede-san! And welcome chibi-san! We can hardly wait to meet you.'

Kaede wondered for a while if Ren was this chibi-san, but that made no sense. Then the pieces started to connect. The scent, the feast and a small person.

'Oi...You're expecting a baby?'

Aki laughed, his green eyes sparking and Ichiro chuckled. The couple was clearly happy about the news.

'Smart like your cousin, Kaede-kun. Yes, we just found out yesterday.'

 

'Oi. Congratulations! Ichiro-san, Aki-san what great news!

Kaede was happy for his cousin and his mate Aki-san, who also happened to be one of his idols. Kaede loved Aki's or Fujita Makoto's books and had drawn several doushinji based on them. He was also going to get to see how the Isamu series was being made into Anime. This would have been the greatest Summer ever, if not for the hanging doom of an arranged marriage over his head.

The next day Kaede wanted to take it back. This would have been the greatest Summer if not for the marriage thing and the fact that his cousin was a slave driver when it came to schoolwork. In one day Kaede had probably done more of the work than most students would in the whole week. Well, actually most students would not do any homework the first week of the vacation. Most students left it to the last possible minute.

At the start of the second week the Summer looked brighter again. All his homework was done and he could now concentrate on the fun stuff. Now he understood why Ichiro had figuratively whipped him into shape. He'd laugh that last week when he knew the others were sweating with trying to get their work done.

Tuesday morning, Ichiro left for town leaving Aki and Kaede to write and draw their respective works. When he returned in the afternoon, he had a white envelope with him and a strange expression on his face. Kaede was getting a bad feeling about it.

'Kaede-san, come to the kitchen a little, please.'

The envelope was on the counter. Kaede eyed it suspiciously. Such things usually had bad news in them.

'This envelope has the photo and name of your betrothed in it.'

Kaede backpedaled. He did not want to know the monster who was waiting for him after graduation. 

'You really should take a look.'

Kaede shook his head and kept backing away from the dreaded envelope.

'Kaede-san, please.'

'No. I cannot.'

The Omega's pitiful squeak tore Ichiro's heart, but this was too important. Of course he could have just said the name, but since there were probably other people who shared that name, it was vital Kaede would see the photo. He took the envelope walked over to his cousin, held it to him and released his Alpha scent.

**'Take the photo from the envelope and look at it, Kaede.'**

The hurt, hateful look in Kaede's eyes was not something Ichiro would ever have wanted to see. He hated acting like his mother too, but in this case he hoped he was right. The sullen and resentful Kaede followed the order. He opened the cardboard folder the photo was in and gasped.

'I hope you forgive me, cousin. But I really thought you should see this before you make a decision whether we should keep looking for a way out of this arrangement.'

'I understand why I needed to see this, cousin Ichiro. I...I don't want out. Not yet anyway. Not until I know more. Uh. Can I keep the photo?'

'Of course. It was always meant for you. Again sorry for compelling you like that.'

It had felt horrible. Being forced to do something he did not want, being forced to submit. But now he knew why and that it really had been in his best interest. It had also been the only way save for tying him up and taping his eyelids to get him to look at the picture.

'I forgive you. You're a good Alpha, cousin.'

Ichiro looked like a lot of weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He'd done his duty for his family and while it had been hard at the end it had been appreciated.

'How about we go ask Aki, if he'd like to go out for some ice-cream?'


	24. Autumn Is Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, this part comes to an end. The story continues in Part 2 though.
> 
> If you have questions or comments, I'd be delighted to answer. Some things are meant to stay a bit hidden for now, but some may be my mistakes. Help is appreciated!
> 
> If needed an Epilogue can be added later too.

August came along as it does every year. Too soon for most it would be September and the start of Autumn term. But there were also some who were waiting for the new term to start.

Kanai Sota sat in his office looking at student profiles. He was mostly content with the results of the Spring term. His predictions had panned out in almost every case, which meant his theories had a base. But much more was needed before publishing the records, if he ever decided to do that.

The newest census data also supported his theory. It seemed that with the decline of the Betas and the females in general, the proportion of Omegas was rising. There were still 3.54 Alphas for every 2 Omegas registered in all of Japan. The trend was slow, but it was there. The percentage of females of the whole population was now at 23.2 and out of those only little over half were under forty. He sighed and moved on to see the other figures. At the last count of the males over the age of 15 about 37.8% were Alphas, 21.6% Omegas and the rest, 40.6% were Betas or unknown.

No matter how one looked at it, the future of humanity was dependent on the male Omegas and their offspring. At least, if there was any humanity left in the human race. There was far too much wrong in the world. Depressing thoughts. He wondered if it had something to do with hormones. Or was he just worried about the world his little son would live in as any future parent would? Regardless, he believed in the work they were doing was worth it. He wouldn't be there to see when the last Beta or the last woman, which could or could not be the same person, died. But he and his comrades would work in the hopes that even that last person would still be treated as a human being and not a curiosity. Sighing he turned of the computer. 

Then he smiled. There was an interesting little project taking place next term. It was not for fun, of course. There was a worthy cause. It was not the first try either, he had placed his 'secret agents' before, but never this long term and never had he had a more interesting case. Sato Kazuhiko. Sota already knew which two students he wanted him to meet first. Even if it was not for fun, he expected to enjoy the reports.

He patted his still flat belly. He'd keep the pregnancy from the students until after the midterms. It should not show too much before that time, he hoped. He already had an idea for a name for their son, but since he had not talked to Wataru about it yet, he did not use it.

'Lets go see if your father is home, papa's little nugget.'

 

Another person who graved for school term to start was Suzuki Kou. He always took his schoolwork seriously and dedicated himself to the position of Secretary that the Student Council had seen fit to dump on him. However, until now he had relished vacations. They were the time he could spend with his little brother Keiji. They had always depended on each other even when things had gotten really bad with their parents and even more so after they were left alone. He loved the kid more than anything.

Now he wanted to get away from his brother as fast as possible. He wanted back into the safety of his own room in the Beta Dorm. He wanted the separation middle school and high school students had between them. Because Suzuki Kou had changed last Spring and he feared his secret would be revealed accidentally if he spent time with his brother. He would no longer be able to be the Kou-niisan that Keiji had looked up to all their lives. He'd just be another pitiful Omega, like their papa had been. He had to keep the Beta mask on as long as he could. At least until Keiji was in high school too, but preferably until at least he himself had graduated. 

It was sad. He could see Keiji was hurting by his distance. But it could not be helped anymore. The young boy he'd taken to the airport in July had returned as a young man, as an Alpha. Hiding scents was harder than hiding things, but there was even the chance his suppressants and neutralizers could be found. Hiding things was especially hard in the small apartment they had rented for the Summer.

Suzuki Keiji cried most nights quietly in his room. He missed his brother and it hurt him that he could not help. Kou-nii was taking it so hard. He suspected it had something to do with their papa, but he didn't remember very much about their parents. He remembered they made a lot of scary noises and hiding in the closet. He remembered Papa had hugged him only when Father was away. Father had really hated him and Kou-nii had saved him almost every time. His brother had taken Father's wrath and punches and Keiji had sworn he'd grow strong and protect his brother from all harm some day. 

He was not strong yet, but he would be. But what good was it being Alpha, if his brother barely talked to him. He often wished their designations had been the other way around. So many times he wanted to yell: _'I don't care that you're an Omega. I just want my big brother back.'_ But he did not. If Kou-nii needed time to adjust, he needed to be strong enough to... 

The tears came again. Keiji wished school would start soon. It would be easier to deal with the emotional distance when they didn't live in the same house. At least Kou-nii's e-mails still sounded like himself.

For some people a new term was an exciting opportunity. For some it was, if not a salvation, at least a temporary relief.

**Author's Note:**

> On this particular Omegaverse
> 
> Both males and females have the secondary Alpha, Beta and Omega designations. Only females can give birth to female offspring. Currently females make up almost 24% of the population, but the number is in decline. 
> 
> A person's secondary gender cannot be determined by simply looking.
> 
> Alpha bonds with the Omega by biting the nape. It causes a physiological reaction in the Omega making them sick if trying to have sex with others. It is not eternal, but takes about a decade to disappear. Omega can reciprocate. It does not cause any physiological reaction, which is why scientists usually discard it.


End file.
